Makeweight Guardian
by Aldsvider
Summary: In a universe that relies on a delicate balance, the detachment of one vital piece could tip the scales. Shoujoai content Makoto centered Silver Millennium
1. Prologue

**Makeweight Guardian**

**Prologue**

"_Wandering Star"_

_(Estimated to take place in the 30 years before the fall of the Silver Millennium)_

A small girl walked along the parched ground of a ledge that overlooked the vast expanse of faded land. Large boulders could be seen dotting the slate grey plains. Dust blew across the rocky tundra and faded into the foreboding sky on the horizon. Storms were coming. How many was anyone's guess. They came and went by night and day. The storms on this particular satellite of Jupiter were devoid of rain and moisture of any kind. They were dry, heated monsters that rumbled through. They brought with them their flashing bolts and pounding thunder that could shake the moon itself. She was used to these sorts of things. The storms were a normalcy, a calming to her weary soul. It was this feeling she now had that shook her. Not the growing rumbles hailing from the east. The feeling was like nothing she had experienced before in her nine years on this barren waste she called home.

Turning her head she regarded what lay behind her on the high peek from which she had descended to this makeshift observation deck. The dark high-towered Jovian castle loomed over her, a testament to who she was. It was hers now, from the chipped limestone statues of long dead warriors that resided at the bottom of the great fortification, to the smallest ornaments that adorned the highest tower. Every stone, every casement, every part of it belonged to her.

She returned her gaze to the abyss of the angry sky. _'So small_ she thought. _'Why do I feel this way? I don't want to feel this way anymore.'_ Sitting on the cold, hard ground she continued with her train of thought.

'_It has been a fortnight since they were taken from me, so why does it still hurt?...Because they've been my life. Always there when I needed them. Someone was always there. Now what? Who will be there.' _Some stones were strewn about the dirt on which she sat. Picking a few up, she began to stack them and put them in rows while her mind persisted in its queries.

'_Father. You should have been able to come back. Weren't you strong enough? The King of Jupiter...slain by a mere lackey of that bitch queen of the Negaverse. How could you let this happen?_' Angry tears began to form in her dark green eyes. '_And mother. How could you go with him like that? If you had stayed behind as you were supposed to, I would still have a mother_.' She ran her arm across her eyes violently. Wiping her wet arm against the fabric of her dress, she looked through blurred vision at her little stack of stones.

'_Why did you have to leave me? What will I do now? How do I go on? I loved you both so much._' Yelling out a curse she hit the stones, scattering them. Some flew to the edge of the cliff, others went over completely.

'_I just want this pain to go away._ _I'll make it go away_.' Looking at what remained of her stones, she saw that she had three left. She gathered them up into her small hands and crawled the distance to the edge of the outcrop. Sitting there she took two of them in her right hand and, looking past them to the horizon once again, she clenched her fist around them as hard as she could and effectively crushed them. Blood began to run down her thin arm as she revealed the dust that now resided on her palm where there had once been two stones. She let the wind carry it away from her.

'_Let my pain go with them then, these will be the only memories of this kind that I will ever bear. For what are memories but burdens of the past. Go, and return to the place from which you came. I will not be weak anymore, I will grow strong for you both and rule over our people. They will not know this pain that I carry.' _

When most of the dust was gone from her palm, she wiped the remaining bit onto her dress. Then her attention was on the stone in her other hand. The third stone. It was a different kind than the other two, and she noticed that it was not dark grey as she had originally thought, but actually a rather mirky green. Scrunching up some of the cloth from her dress, she began rubbing the rock vigorously, trying to removed some of the loose dirt. When she finally lifted it from the cloth for inspection, she was surprised to find that it was really an emerald. The small spot she managed to get clean was still dull, but an unmistakable glitter shown through.

'_I wonder where it came from._' Closing her hand around the object, she gripped it tightly as she had the previous stones, but this time it would not break. Rising from the spot where she was sitting, she slipped the emerald into her pocket, intending to finish her ministrations on it later.

'_Just you wait and see_,' she thought, _'I will persevere. I will not dwell on such abstractions as love again. Revenge is what I seek now_.' She began to make her ascent of the steps to the Castle Jupiter. On her way up she tripped, accidently ripping her dress in the process. _'Dammit, no more of these either_.' Reaching down, she tore the remaining cloth of her garment away._ 'I can't fight in something like this anyway. For myself and my people, many sacrifices will have to be made...and I must be ready.'_

"You'll see," she said aloud this time, "I won't give myself a reason to feel this way again." In the distance the thunder gave a rumbled reply.

_Continued...._

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**I apologize for any typos, grammar, or misspelling that you may encountered in your perusal of the above story.... :) thank you. **


	2. Chapter 1: A Good Sword

_I do not claim to own any part of the Sailor Moon series or its affiliated characters_

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**Chapter 1: A Good Sword**

_**Twelve Years Later...**_

The thrill of battle is an amazing thing. In the heat of a battle you can commit acts that otherwise might be impossible. Feats of strength, courage, and prowess that would rival the greatest warriors. For Makoto, however, no battle was needed to display such qualities. They came naturally to her.It was just like breathing.

She made a nice show of her skills now for the aspiring troops. It would ignite a flame in their very being, or so she hoped, and motivate them to become part of her ever-growing Jovian army. Makoto was exchanging blows with the Captain of said army at the moment as the sound of steel hitting upon steel resounded through the halls of the Castle Jupiter. Her lithe figure traversed the practice yard with ease, while her sword parried and thrust through the air at the formidable man before her. There was no doubt who would win. Her movements were quick as her supple limbs moved to make the "killing" blow. There was a great clash of steel as the man's sword went flying through the air, landing at the feet of a startled youth not a stone's throw away. The young man looked at the sword and backed up wearily as he observed the scene before him. The princess had one booted foot on the Captain's chest while the tip of her sword was pressed to his throat. She stood with a haughty gaze on the man below her, waiting for him to concede. Her face was flushed from the taxing workout, and her dark green eyes were alight with excitement. The long auburn hair that fell over her shoulder, from where she had it tied at the nape of her neck, was damp with perspiration. A small blush crept up his face as he admired her tall frame. She wore battered tan pants tucked into her equally rugged boots and a white loose blouse chosen for comfort and ease of movement rather than style. _'I know I would have conceded long before now,'_ he thought, with a grin plastered to his young face. His blush deepened at this thought and he looked away from the wild beauty before him just as he heard the Captain's voice ring out, "I concede my Lady!"

Anyone could hear the smile in his voice without needing to look at his handsome face. _'What I wouldn't give to be him right now.'_ He glanced at the Captain's sword and made a quick decision. Picking the blade up he made his way over to his soon-to-be commander, who was now wiping the sand and dust from his backside.

"Captain sir," he said in a timid voice, offering the blade to him. "Your sword." The man straightened and regarded the youth before him.

"Ah, thank you young man." he took the sword and wiped it across his pants quickly before sliding it home into its sheath.

"You have already decided you will be joining us then? Are you not a bit young? " he said, looking the boy over with a critical eye.

The boy chanced a look at the princess and was surprised to find her doing the same. He turned back to the commander opening his mouth to reply. He was stopped from saying anything, however, when a voice interrupted him.

"No one is too young to do anything Captain. I think your question is a bit unnecessary. It is not your place to question someone else's heart. If he is set on it, then I will not hold him back." pausing to think, she then said, "There are two ways to reach the top of a tree Captain, if I may remind you. Use your own strength to scale its towering height...or sit on the damn seed and wait for it to grow. I tell you now that I have no intention of waiting Captain." She leveled her burning gaze on him. There was something in her eyes in that moment. Something that spoke of her own past. A past that they would never speak of.

"Now if I might excuse myself I have some trifle business to attend to that deals with much parchment and sitting." She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, annoyed with the task that awaited her in the study. "You may all stay and begin a nice long day of training or start tomorrow. Either way, if you have decided not to join me then you may stay the night and attend the festivities as my honored guests none the less. My hope is that you will take this opportunity to better yourself and help protect the people you love the most." The corner of her mouth twitched somewhat as she said this, but went unnoticed by everyone else. Everyone, that is, with the exception of the Captain of the Royal Guard Shinosuki. He knew she was fighting the urge to roll her eyes at this point in her speech. He merely stood and observed the faces of the aspiring soldiers as she continued to spout words of wisdom and courage.

She had them and he knew it. Maybe five or six from the some hundred that had shown up would return home tomorrow. He doubted there would be many. The looks on their faces said it all. Some wore looks of pride, some had haughty smirks on there faces, and others were mere hatchlings with a thirst to prove themselves. There were even quite a few women in the group this time. Then there were the ones that he knew had fallen in love with the Jovian princess the moment her boots hit the dusty ground of the practice yard early this morning. He pitied them greatly, for they were the ones who would be fighting towards an impossible goal. Princess Mokoto would never have any of them. She was a woman devoid of those affections. Never in his 7 years of service had he seen her consort with a person in any intimate way. He could not bring himself to call her a cold-hearted woman, however, for he knew there must be some hope. He loved her greatly, as a brother might love a sister. She would be his queen one day, and he was immensely proud of this fact. He smiled as she wound her speech to a dramatic close.

"Now then," she said drawing her sword and swinging it above her head in an embellished arc. "Who will follow me. Who will help me defeat the evil of the Negaverse and bring its dog of a queen to her knees at my very feet." There was an affirmative roar that could be heard throughout the entire castle. She smirked and shoved her sword unceremoniously into its sheath. The Princess turned on her heal and, nodding to the Captain, exited through one of the arched doorways into a darkened hall. The cheering continued behind her as the newly appointed soldiers dispersed to their quarters to await the nights festivities. Only a few stayed behind to continue practicing with the appointed commanders. Little did they know that these names would be noted. Those who put forth such effort would be rewarded in the future with higher considerations for promotions and longer leave. She admired hard workers, as she herself was one. Her Captain followed her as she made her way up a winding stairway to her study where a stack of papers and a cold drink awaited her.

Upon reaching the door, she swung it open widely and marched in heading for the large oak desk at the back of the large room. "So, Captain Shinozaki, what do you think?" she said, falling into the immense chair behind the desk that was perfect for her large frame. Shinozaki followed her inside, grabbing the door as it bounced back from hitting a bookcase positioned a bit too close to the door. There was a permanent mark on the wood that was getting deeper with time. He closed the door and noted, as he did many times, that the door was in no better condition than the bookcase was.

"I think you need new furniture, and someone to clean up in here", he said this gesturing at the books and papers covering most of the floor. There were a few maps hanging from the top of the bookcase that would surely fall within the next slamming or two of the door. The pile of books sitting on a corner of her desk was teetering precariously, defying gravity as it was.

"Oh and you should probably bathe before you begin working on that pile of documents that is...where are the documents?" he said, searching the chaos of her desk with his eyes again. Makoto despised domestic servitude of any kind, therefore, one noted the lack of maids and servants throughout the giant castle.

"I know where everything is in here...I'll find them when I'm damned good and ready to." She said this testily, letting her fist fall on the desk to punctuate her point. The vibration shook the wooden furniture causing the pile of books to finally give up its acrobatic limbo and crash to the carpeted stone floor below. It was soon to be joined by quite a generous pile of parchment that decided to use the proffered books as a slide. Upon hitting them, the papers shot across the floor in a line to Shinozaki's greaves. They made a small tinging noise on impact.

"See, told ya," She brought her boots up to rest on the spot that the books had just been occupying. Shinozaki looked down at one of the documents resting against his left greave and realized that, yes, these were the documents she was to begin working on this afternoon.

"Well then my Lady, to answer your question, you have those people in the palm of your hand. They will follow you to their deaths as I will to mine," he bowed as he completed his flat statement and turned to leave.

"I would never let anyone die for me. They die for their own causes as I will for mine one day. That woman presents a danger to them. I merely train them for what is to come. Never say something like that to me again Captain...and pick up these papers." she lifted her tankard to her mouth and took a long swallow.

"Forgive me Milady, I was out of place," he said sadly. She waved him off with her hand as if he had said nothing while taking one of the papers from the floor and scanning its contents. Bending down, he began to gather the papers up from the floor. He found her indifference with acknowledging allegiances and relationships extremely annoying sometimes. The fact that she led these people with such passion showed that she had some love for them, but she would never let it show. She had been through many battles for her people. Helping the Outers whenever they called upon her, though she never met with any of them face to face. She was so young and already a veteran fighter. She had somehow deluded herself into thinking that relationships would only cause problems and lead to pain. Princess Makoto laughed about her little "drama speeches" as she liked to call them. Shinozaki wrote most of them for her and she added the enthusiasm and emotion to get the people hooked into following her. He would not tell her that he believed every word she said to be true. He knew that it was, or he would have refused to continue writing the speeches for her. _'She'll come around one day,' _he thought tiredly.

"What in the fires of Mars is this supposed to mean!?" The Jovian princess's voice ripped through his silent pondering causing him to almost drop the pile of papers he was procuring from the floor. He added a curse himself to her already colorful vocabulary.

"What is it Milady?" he said approaching the desk slowly. He began to push a pile of rather large books towards it as well while she continued to complain, waving the offending parchment through the air above her head.

"This woman expects me to come to some sort of...of...celebration...thing!" She shouted angrily.

He flinched slightly coming to a stop in front of her desk. Sitting upon the newly positioned pile of books he ran a hand through his hair. From what he could see of the paper she was waving around madly, it was from the Palace of the Moon. The crest it bore flashed silver in the dim candle light of the study. He groaned inwardly.

"What is wrong this time? You have declined such invitations before. How should this one be any different. I can remember at least twenty four that you have refused in fact." Here he rested his arm on his leg, putting his chin in his hand he said, "Let's see, there were the birthdays of the Princess of Mars, Venus, Mercury...all of them in fact." He drew his eyebrows together in thought. "The knighting ceremonies, the prince of Earth...the Queen's birthdays, I still don't know how you keep getting away with that one." He closed his eyes for a few moments. "Ah ha!" he said, snapping them open once more. "You did attend the Princess of Uranus's birthday ball 10 years ago!" He smiled like he'd just won at his favorite game of chess.

"I showed up for the first quarter of the event and then left, remember? Not even half of the guests had arrived yet." She leaned forward on her desk gloomily. "The princess refused to duel with me, so I got bored." she shrugged her shoulders and sighed in defeat. "This invitation, however, cannot really be called an invitation at all. It's more like a damned order." She threw the invitation into his lap and let her head fall to the desk with a loud thump. Shinozaki un-crumpled the paper which had somehow managed to reach such a state in Makoto's impassioned objections to its very existence. He began to read it aloud.

"High Princess Makoto, Guardian of Jupiter, Head of the House of Jupiter, Leader of th–" ("blah, blah, blah skip all the crap Captain..." her voice broke in.) You are requested to attend the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the birth of Princess Serenity Usagi Guardian of–" ("skip it dammit!") "This years celebrations will take place over a course of one month and one week. There will be an opening Ball on the first night of the first week of the month of the house of the Moon (a grumble rose from over the desk). You will be expected to arrive at the palace of the Moon on the day before the Ball. You will be shown your rooms and servants shall attend you through the palace as we are aware that you are unfamiliar with our home. ("Who gives a damn about the big white piece of–") YOU MUST be at the Ball before the hour of–" ("Before anyone else gets there basically,"she grumbled again) and you are expected to stay till the end of the event." He raised both eyebrows here and looked up towards his princess who was now banging her forehead lightly on the table and making strange little noises that could be any number of curses in several different languages. "It goes on to tell of the various events that will be hosted throughout the month of the Moon and...what's this note about a meeting of the inner soldiers of the Moon? Sounds like she wants to get to know all of you a little better."

"Ha!" she croaked, lifting her head from the table and ripping away an offending piece of paper that had adhered to her forehead. "I bet she does! More like she wants to know our strengths and weaknesses. She'd like to get a feel for what kind of weapons she has in her armory. A good sword is worthless if you don't know how to use it, right? I'll hand it to her for her conniving mind."

Shinozaki was getting tired of this,"Why can't you just give her a chance? It's your own fault that it has come to this. The last time you met her was over thirteen years ago. As long as we are on this topic, the last time you met with anyone of the royal houses was ten years ago. You can't just stay here in this castle for the rest of your life. Only leaving it to fight some battle that might get you closer to that damned evil woman, or might just get you killed. You are going to have an extremely long existence, don't spend it alone Milady." He looked at her sadly. Then there was silence. He expected her to yell at him, to lash out with some crude remark about minding himself in her presence. The quiet of the room made him a bit uneasy though.

Mokoto leaned back in her chair, masking her face in the shadows there. After a few moments had passed Shinozaki was about to leave when Mokoto suddenly reached behind her head and pulled on the ribbon that bound her hair. She let it slide from its place and shook her long mane out, throwing the ribbon over the desk where Shinozaki caught it rather clumsily. Her Captain looked at her in question holding the green ribbon in a light grip.

"When I leave for this gala event," the sarcasm fairly dripped from her voice, "I'm going to leave you in charge here Captain Shinozaki. You are to see to it that the new soldiers are trained accordingly and that the castle is kept up."

He was about to interrupt her with a remark about the castle's upkeep not really being "kept up" as it was, however, he decided against it. The young Captain was extremely pleased with her decision to go and he didn't want to spoil it. She went on telling him of all the responsibilities this would entail him to and how she would still be checking in on his progress via messengers and so on. He listened attentively as she rambled about the various workings of being a leader. She finally came to the end of her lecture and decided she was no longer in need of his company.

Shinozaki hesitated, "Why me Milady? Would not Captain Nephrite be more suited to the chore?" He wanted her reason for choosing him over the more experienced man.

Sorting through the documents on her desk she did not look up. "Don't think that I didn't consider others before choosing you for this task Captain. I carefully weigh any decision before I make it, you know that. This is one of the reasons I've chosen you. You are much more level headed than Nephrite. He has...changed lately...I will not leave my people in unstable hands." Her eyes had darkened considerably as she spoke. Shinozaki found himself wondering what changes she had noted that went undetected by he himself. He knew his princess could be overly-analytical when it came to people at times. Usually, though, she was right when it came to her own. If she saw something in Nephrite that he did not, then Shinozaki would not question it. He would have a look for himself.

"Just remember all that I've told you here today. It will be the first time I've left the Castle of Jupiter in ten years. You may leave now Captain." She continued scanning the rest of the documents he had placed on her desk.

He rose from his wobbly seat on the books and gave her a low bow, "Princess." Standing straight he saluted her with one arm over his chest. "General," he said formally.

"Damn right," she smirked, still looking at the paper in front of her. He grinned and walked towards the battered door. As he reached for the knob he was stopped by her voice.

"You are correct about one thing Captain. I'm going to have a very long existence, so I might as well use it to get to know the strengths of the other guardians...and their weaknesses."

He knew it had been to good to be true. _'Oh well_,' he thought weakly, _'at least she's getting out of this place for a while. Can't worry about the little things._' With that he left, shoving the large door closed behind him roughly. When it finally shut, he heard something fall with a thwack on the other side. '_Ah, so the maps finally gave way_.' Hearing the curses being directed at the offending objects he began to grin. Shinozaki could imagine how far the maps had scattered in the cluttered study.

'_If she would just let someone clean the place up a bit...'_ He started walking down the torch-lit corridor thinking that maybe he should do something about the helmet on that suite of armor beside the bookcase tomorrow if he got the chance. A moment following that thought, he heard a loud clang followed by one of the most violent lines of curses he had yet to hear.

"SON OF A–" Ducking his head he quickened his pace, retreating to the floor below.

_Continued...._

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**I apologize for any typos, grammar, or misspellings that you may encountered in your perusal of the above story... :) thank you. **

_**makeweight** noun 1) something put on a scale to make up the required weight. 2) an extra person or thing needed to complete something._

_**guardian** noun a defender, protector, or keeper. _


	3. Chapter 2: A Darkness

**Chapter 2: A Darkness**

_Three weeks earlier..._

Queen Serenity, ruler of the Moon Kindgom, sat behind a large white desk drumming her fingers thoughtfully along the hard surface. Her eyes were closed in concentration as she considered her choices in the matter at hand. Her daughter Usagi's birthday was little more than a month away and she had yet to make any plans. Procrastination was not something she was akin to, but in this matter it was hard. This was to be her 20th birthday celebration and it was supposed to be a special event for all.

A knock at the door broke into her troubled thoughts. She looked up towards the door across the room from her desk. "Please come in." She tried to use a cheerful voice, but decided she inevitably sounded cheerfully tired. A small girl stepped in with a bright smile on her face and bowed lowly. _'Well, at least someone is happy today,' _she thought. The girl stood straight and announced in the most official sounding voice she could muster, "Your Highness, Queen Pluto would like to request an audience with you."

"Please bring Lady Setsuna in," she said, nodding to the retreating girl. _'I wonder what this is about. The Guardian of Time does not leave her post for reasons to be taken lightly.' S_he sighed in frustration. _'This is all I need now.'_

A few minutes later, the door opened once more. This time a tall brunette walked in. Her dark hair flowing behind her as she walked purposefully towards the other woman. She stopped in front of Serenity's desk and bowed before her.

"Arise Lady Setsuna, for it has been so long since I have last seen you." Smiling, Serenity stood and rounded the desk. She embraced the tall woman before her in a tight hug.

"It has not been that long. Only a few years." Setsuna replied, equally please with seeing her queen.

"Oh, but the absence of a friend's company always seems so long. Whether it be a day or a hundred years," the queen said hastily.

Setsuna smiled in her mysterious way. "It is the thought that I have such friends here that keeps me moving forward. If not for that, my duty would be an unbearably lonely one. To have companions is a great thing." While she was speaking her face became sad. "I have come here today to discuss something important with you Highness."

Serenity offered the woman a seat, which she took gratefully. She waited forSetsuna to begin speaking. "It is in regards to one of your daughter's guardians. It is faint now, but I can sense a darkness. Right now it is so small, it is almost undetectable. With time, however, it will grow. This could become a very big problem for you." She paused and hesitantly went on. "It is discouraging that the court of the Moon might become so disunited if this happens. You must understand, though, that I can not tell you anymore than I already have. It is your duty to locate the guardian that harbors this darkness. Then it is you obligation to help them. You must come up with the solution on your own." Setsuna smiled at the confused and surprised looked that graced the Queen's beautiful features. "Do not worry, Milady, for I am certain that you can do this. You are our leader, and it is you whom we protect. We would not do so if we did not find you worthy of pledging our lives to."

"Do nottalk in such a way Setsuna. I would never allow any of you to give up your lives. You all are my closest allies and friends. You know that."

"Yes, Milady, I do know this. However, do the rest of your guardians know this? The outer guardians as well as the young inner guardians?" Setsuna stood gracefully. "I must go now Highness. What little time I have spent here is more than I had expected."

Serenity stood as well. "You just arrived and you are leaving already? Tell me Setsuna, how am I supposed to know which one it is? I only know a few of the inner guardians. They mostly converse with my daughter, for they are her guardians after all. Is my daughter to share this burden? Should I tell her of what the future may hold?" Serenity's voice was desperate.

Setsuna had reached the door by this point. Turning to look over her shoulder she addressed her Queen. "You do not have to tell her anything at all. Suspicion will only lead to misunderstandings. This guardian is not a criminal or enemy, they are merely confused. It is understandable why." She turned the handle on the door and opened it. "I am going to return now, to the gates. I will go about my duty happily because I know whom I protect and why. To not know, however, that is completely different. When I was younger, I wonder what path I would have taken if I was not loved as I am now. I would probably still be somewhere within the depths of the Castle of Pluto...or maybe worse. Goodbye for now Lady Serenity. Until we meet again." Shethen walkedout, closing the door behind her in the silent room.

Serenity stood looking at the closed door through which the Guardian of Pluto had just left. _'What am I supposed to do now? I have to do something about a possible rogue guardian, and my daughter's birthday.'_ She sat in her chair, thinking. It was one of her daughter's guardians then.

'_It could not be any of the Outer guardians...I speak with them every week by messenger.'_ She tried to remember all the times she had encountered any of her daughter's guardians. Most of them came to the Moon Kingdom when their parents were summoned for meetings of the royal court. Though she could remember seeing Princess Minako a bit more than the rest. Her daughter was very good friends with the princess of Venus. She smiled, thinking about all the times Minako and Usagi had gotten into trouble together. In fact, one particular trouble session had occurred not three months ago. Minako had discovered some sort of love dust that was a specialty of Venus, and only to be issued by the royal court. It had not turned out well when the two made a sweep of the Palace, matchmaking everywhere. It had the opposite effect on most, and the two were cooped up in their respective rooms for two days writing apology letters to their victims. She remembered being furious at the time, but now that she looked back on the event, she found it very amusing.

Leaning forward on her desk, she began to recount the times she had met the others. The princess of Mars came regularly to report any visions she may have had. She would also visit with Usagi often, but this usually ended with her daughter running to her reporting that the Martian princess was picking on her again. Her daughter could be such a crybaby at times, but she loved her just the same. She didn't scold Rei for her treatment of her daughter either. Thinking that it would be healthy for Usagi could use some of the criticism, and she knew Rei would never do anything to hurt her.

'_Let's see now, that leaves Ami and Makoto...Ami is always in her study reading, but she does pay visits to the palace. Even if it is just to spend time in the royal library. It is the largest in the universe after all,' _she thought. She had come to the conclusion long ago that the young princess of Mercury loved knowledge and seemed to do most of her living in her head. The girl was the smallest of the guardians and was not as strong as the rest. Her power lay in her mind.

'_The princess of Jupiter...' _Serenity sat up straight as she remembered something. She felt so stupid for having forgot. Makoto's parents were dead. The last she had seen of the girl had been many years ago when she was but a child. Serenity had always tried to invite the girl to various events such as balls and parties, but the girl always declined. Respecting what Makoto had gone through, she decided to let her have her space. She even went so far as to let her send a representative to the royal court meetings. She remembered the young man now, he was Makoto's Captain...Shinozaki if she remembered right. He would report on the statistics of the population of Jupiter's satellites and various other idiosyncrasies. One thought had struck her as odd lately in their meetings. The Jovian princess's army had grown to twice its original size within the past year. That was a lot considering the population of Jupiter was the lowest among the 9 planets. Then she had disregarded it because the Jovian people were very rugged. They were more prone to become soldiers than say the people of Mercury or Venus. The same could be said for Mars and Uranus, however, and their armies were growing at an even rate.

'_There is too much to consider. I need to get them all in one place, then I'll compare their distinctions and how they react with each other. I do not think I have ever seen them all together at once in fact. I also need to figure out something to do for Usagi.'_ A thought hit her like a bolt of lighting. _'A ball. They will all attend and I can oversee them there...as well as all the other guests.' _She sighed._ 'That will not work. I need more time than one night to observe them, and I can not devote all my time to five girls in a room of over three hundred._' She continued to think. Another knock at the door disturbed her thoughts.

"Come in." She said dejectedly.

"Hello mother!" Her daughter came flying through the door and threw her arms about her mother's shoulders. "Are you busy right now?"

Serenity hugged her daughter back and noticed another figure slip through the door of her study. "Hello your Highness," said princess Minako, bowing.

Serenity smiled in return. "Hello Minako. You two are staying out of trouble I assume." She gave them both a stern look as her daughter finally released her.

"Of course mother." Usagi answered, looking innocent. "Anyway, we were wondering if Minako could stay for a couple of days. Pleeeease, we'll be good and won't get into any trouble. I'll even do some extra lesson to make up for it." Her daughter gave her a beseeching look that Minako mimicked behind her.

The Queen was on the verge of laughing. Here she was worrying over Usagi's future and birthday, and her daughter's top priority was spending a couple days with her friend. _'I should be so considerate of my own friends,'_ she thought. "Yes, my daughter, she can stay the next few days here." Usagi began doing something akin to a victory dance while hanging from Serenity's shoulders once again.

"This is great mother. Isn't it Minako?"

"Yep. Though, it would be incredibly so if it was about a month long stay!" she replied jokingly. "Think of all the stuff we could do then." Usagi laughed in reply and started making her way toward the door.

Queen Serenity sat still for a moment watching her daughter go to leave. Something about what Minako had just said struck her as a great idea. If she had all the guardians stay for a month, then she would have plenty of time to get to know them. _'Yes, this will work perfectly!' _she thought triumphantly.

"Usagi, wait a moment dear." Her daughter froze and turned around. She looked at if she expected her mother to changer her mind about letting Minako stay for a while. "You have not let me tell you what I have planned for your birthday celebration." She smiled as Usagi's face lit up._ 'Yes, this will work very well...I hope.'_

_Continued..._

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**I apologize for any typos, grammar, or misspelling that you may encountered in your perusal of the above story.... :) thank you. **


	4. Chapter 3: A Proposition

Hmm, seems I'm not getting these chapters done as fast as I'd like to. Being on a break right now is great though, but I'll try. My next semester starts in a few weeks, so I might not have as much time. But who cares about that right now.

The pairing will be a surprise...even to me. I've got that _'too many ideas over-loading my brain at once' _thing going on. This entire story will take place in the Silver Millennium, as if that wasn't already obvious. (Good grief, I'm already thinking of a sequel that'll be around their highschool lives or something.) I guess I should just continue typing what's formed in my head now, and worry about the rest later.

Oh, I'm so happy. I got reviews! I didn't think anybody would do that. (I know...I'm lame.) Thank you very much for taking the time to read this though. Thank you to **Thorn on a Rose**, **Lady-Dragonguardian**, and **Fade9wayz **(as apposed to fading 8, 7 or even 6 wayz...) Thanks guys.

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**Chapter 3: A Proposition**

Night was falling. One by one torches were being lit throughout the Castle of Jupiter. They glowed brightly in the dim shades of twilight that were closing in on the immense structure. Tonight the castle was bustling with activity. A feast was being held in honor of the newly enlisted soldiers. The great hall was alive with the sounds of music, singing, and the general loud banter of the crowd. In the middle of the room was a large table filled with just about every food imaginable. The soldiers ate and drank merrily, praising their princess. They were enjoying every moment of the celebration to the fullest for they knew that a hard road lay before them. One full of training and discipline.

At the head of the table, on a raised dais overlooking the room's activities, sat their leader. The Jovian Princess was in a foul mood this evening. The room's joyous atmosphere only added to her distaste. She lifted her seventh goblet of wine to her lips, consuming half of the contents.

To her left sat Captain Nephrite, looking to be in no better mood than the princess. To her right was an empty chair. Makoto scanned the room looking for its occupant. Shinozaki liked social occasions such as these and would rarely be seen sitting down in one place for extended periods of time. She finally spotted him standing by a few other men, who were laughing at something Shinozaki had just said. He then excused himself and started to make his way towards Makoto. Beside her, Nephrite scowled as he retrieved his goblet from the table.

"Quite the social bug tonight, isn't he?" Nephrite said coldly.

"We all go about getting our information in different ways Captain. This is his way. He feels that knowing his men on a social level will help him to better train them. His methods have yet to fail, so I see no need to halt his actions." She spared Nephrite no glance as she downed the remainder of her wine. Lowering the goblet, she found Shinozaki standing before her.

"Your Highness," he said, bowing.

"Not quite yet actually..." she answered. "But give me a little while longer and I'll be as high as the tallest tower we've got up there," she said, pointing at the ceiling.

Shinozaki half smiled. "You are getting drunk Milady."

"Yes," she said flatly. "And getting there is half the fun. Besides," she filled her goblet once more, "This may be my last chance to do so in quite awhile. After tomorrow I'll be on my way to that...er...ball thing, or whatever it was." Makoto was finally beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol. She slouched in her chair and leaned heavily on one arm, looking at nothing particular in the hectic room. Shinozaki sighed and took his seat to her right. Once there he decided to try for some conversation.

"Speaking of the Princess's birthday party. I understand that you already have the ship stocked and ready to pullout?"

"Of course! I've already made all the necessary preparations for this accursed trip to the Moon. It should only take a little less than a week to get there."

"So, you are completely ready to leave when the time comes? The provisions are on the ship...along with your wardrobe?"

Makoto nodded.

"You did make sure to pack both casual and formal?"

Another nod was his answer.

"And I'm sure that you did not forget the Princess's present along with the small, but customary, presents to greet your fellow guardians?"

Makoto suddenly became very interested in the contents of her goblet.

"You forgot, didn't you?" He asked while watching her gulp the entirety of the wine down.

Wiping her mouth lightly with the side of her hand she replied, "Bah! Can't be thad hard canit? I'll find somethin' lyin round here. It's the thought that counts and all ya know."

Shinozaki sighed impatiently. "Yes, but I was hoping that you could put a little more than one thought into this, and preferably when you are not drunk."

"Whaddaya mean drunk?! I can think just as fine right now as when I've completed a full session of meditation. I could beat ten men right now even if ya blind folded me and didn't gimme no weapon. Hell, I could wipe the floor with ol' Nephy over here!" She japped her thumb over her shoulder in Nephrite's general direction. Nephrite scowled, but did not respond to her comment on making use of him as a mop, or the way she butchered his name.

Shinozaki ignored her protests. "Princess, I cannot stress enough just how important it is to find a proper gift." He cast around for something, anything, that would convince her to take this a bit more seriously. "The other guardians, it will be only proper for them to bring gifts as well. Would it not be wonderful if you were to bring a gift that rivals there's. You would not want the House of Jupiter to be the only one presenting the Princess with a less than amazing gift, would you?" He knew how competitive the Jovian Princess was, so he hoped she would take this bate.

Makoto lifted her head in thought. She stayed that way for a few moments. Furrowing her brow she thought, _'How did it suddenly become so loud in here?' _"I'm goin' for a walk," she announced suddenly. Refilling her goblet with the last of the wine, she rose from her seat. Making her way past Shinozaki, she headed for one of the side doors of the great hall.

Shinozaki watched her go, hoping he had convinced her. He thought that maybe she was going somewhere quieter to think. Probably one of the gardens. She always liked to go there to meditate sometimes. He knew that Makoto loved roses, and she kept a very large garden full of them. It contained just about every kind that was in existence. They imported the plants from Earth, and had them tended to night and day by a young boy whom she paid generously. She had a closer relationship with those very plants than she did with any living breathing thing. The roses outlasted any plant that would live on earth. They were enchanted to live for as long as she wished, and she would never let any of them die.

Makoto strode down the dark hall, running her free hand along the cold stone of the wall as she went. She did this mostly to keep herself walking in a straight line to her intended place of refuge. Though, having walked this path many times before, she could do it with her eyes closed on even the darkest night. Without the light of the torches. Meandering a little further, she stopped in front of big wooden door. Laying her hand upon the rough, worn surface, she pushed it forward on squeaky hinges. The sound echoed in the vast room in which she entered. Looking about, the princess smiled. The smile was not a smirk and it wasn't haughty. Her visage seemed to change just by being in that very room. All around her there were roses. Roses of every kind. It was peaceful here at the top of the castle. Lifting her face, she looked skyward. There was no ceiling in here. The dome that should have served as one had been removed many years ago. The light of the stars poured into the room, illuminating its occupant. The night air swirled around her, cooling her hot skin. Made so from the long trek she had taken to reach this haven. Makoto let out a great breath and sprawled onto the damp grass that carpeted the ground. She put her arm over her eyes.

'_What am I supposed to give her? All of them in fact...I've never had to give anyone a gift before. I don't have much that anyone would want anyway. A bunch of old books, weapons, some rusty old suits of armor...maybe some statues and paintings.' _Her mind was getting a bit foggier. _'Who am I kidding? I don't own anything that a normal female would want. I gave up all that stuff ages ago.' _Makoto started to wish she hadn't finished off the goblet she had been carrying earlier. It was now sitting somewhere along the giant stairway she had used to get here.Fishing into the pocket of her trousers, she pulled out a small green stone. It was a habit she had developed. Bringing it out now and then and stroking the smooth surface with her thumb. It calmed her somehow, or so she liked to think. Laying her hand on her stomach and holding the emerald, the scents of the roses filled her head making her sleepy. Slowly she drifted off to sleep, surrounded by the comforting gaze of the roses.

The moment Makoto awoke, she knew she was not alone. Drowsy and disoriented, she lifted her head and then sat up completely. In fact, she sat up so fast that it jolted her aching head sending screaming pains rushing behind her eyes. "Dammit!" she snapped viciously. Jumping to her feet she got into a decent fighting stance and faced her enemy.

The Queen of the Negaverse stood before her in all her wicked glory. A knowing smile played across her chilled features. "I see that I have caught you at a bad time your highness," she said mockingly.

"Alright, bitch, I didn't think you were completely stupid. Now, though, I'm convinced that you are. Ya think a little hangover's gonna stop me from kicking the shit out of ya!?" The Jovian princess smirked in a triumphant way. "Now then," she brought a hand out in front of her, letting small sparks of lighting dance between her fingertips, "yer gonna gimme a good fight, right?"

"Oh, do not worry little girl. I will be happy to. Only, that can be rather hard considering I am not even here in your presence." Beryl laughed lightly at the confused expression on Makoto's face. "I am projecting an image of myself to this spot from my castle. You cannot even touch me, so put away your toys and let us have a little chat."

Without warning, Makoto brought her fist straight into Beryl's face...and through it. She stumbled a bit ending up on the other side of the figure. "Fuck, tonight just ain't my night," she said putting her hand to her throbbing head.

"Done dear? Good. I have a proposition to make that you might find very interesting. It is my hopes that we might become good associates."

"Eat shit...," was Makoto's spat reply.

"My, we do have a foul mouth now, do we not? That matters not to me, however. I have little time to waste here. Do you not have someone that you hate even more than me anyway? Hmm, Makoto dear?" Beryl smiled and held out her hand. Upon it stood the small figure of a handsome blond man.

Makoto lunged forward in a vain attempt to completely crush the small man. But he remained standing unfazed, and the queen laughed all the more.

"This is merely another projection, girl. I will not simply hand him to you." Her tone of voice changed here. "I did not order this man to kill your parents, you do realize this, do you not? He acted on his own, and it was an extremely stupid move. None defy me. I have been holding him in my castle for the last 12 years."

"Ha! As if I'd believe a lying whore like you!" Makoto laughed her own cruel laugh. Then she regarded the small figure the queen held. He was the same man, there was no doubt about it. Looking at him now, she wanted to kill him. She wanted to torture and mutilate him. There were no words for the depths at which her hate for him ran. He was a murder who killed her parents and took away the only people she had ever loved...the only people she ever would love. If she killed him, then her revenge would be complete. No more searching, no more pain, no more agony of knowing that he was still alive and well. Makoto breathed deeply, she would do anything to get this man.

Beryl's face had taken on a mask of calm, observing the Jovian princess. Makoto lifted her head, and looking into Beryl's eyes said, "What do you want in return?"

Beryl maintained that same calm visage. "You will become my General. Your people shall still be yours, but they will be under the protection of the Negaverse. The army shall also be yours, and you will combine it with your own Jovian one. The combination will be unbeatable. The strongest in the universe, and you shall be at its head."

"Never." Was all that Makoto could say.

"Come now, do not be unreasonable. Think on this. What have the other guardians ever done for you? They are not your friends, nor has any of them offered you aid."

"I need no aid."

"But of course you do not. You are one of the strongest warriors in the universe, otherwise I would be a fool for choosing you as my general."

"I am not evil like you are. I will never hurt any of them. It is my duty to protect each and every one."

"You do not owe this Kingdom anything, and there is no good and evil in war. We battle for our own causes. We are not so different, you and I."

Makoto cringed inwardly at hearing some of her own words repeated back to her.

"Do you not wonder why you are being forced to come to this little gala. She wants to get you under her thumb, and she will hold you there. She probably thinks of you as a threat to be dealt with. No doubt she has noticed the increase in the size of your army. It would be prudent of you to be weary. A wolf may hide behind that pretty face of hers. At least my intentions are known, I can hardly imagine what hers must be."

"Do not tell me what to do, or how to handle myself you witch. I need no one, least of all you. I can fight my own battles and win them alone." Makoto's voice was sharp with anger. She stood tall and proud, daring the Queen to question her strength.

Beryl's calm facade finally broke, she spoke forcefully. "These things are all meaningless if you sit here in this castle for the rest of your life, rotting away to nothingness. You hold no love for the bastards of the Moon Kingdom, so why is this such a hard choice to make. Your parents died for them...for nothing."

Makoto was raging inside. She wanted to tear this woman's heart out and rip her to shreds. "I hold no love for anyone and I never will again!"

Beryl's stare was long and even. "Then what exactly is the problem?"

Makoto stared back at the woman with no response. She had a duty to protect the Moon Kingdom and its inhabitants. A duty given to she and the rest of the guardians by Queen Serenity. _'What do I owe that woman though? Why should I be bound to a duty without a choice?'_

"Think on all that I have said today Princess of Jupiter," she held the small figure of the blond general close to Makoto's troubled face. "I shall await your answer eagerly. Until we meet again." She bowed her head slightly and dissolved from the rose garden.

Makoto stood in silence contemplating. She felt very exhausted. The world began to spin around her and her knees started to give way. Falling, her weight hit the soft ground with an audible thud. The last thing she saw before everything went black, was a pair of small booted feet running toward her.

Several minutes later, on a stone slab not far from where she passed out, Makoto awoke to the feel of cold water being applied to her flushed face. Opening her dark green eyes she met small brown ones. Thin arms helped her to sit up. She pushed them away hastily and propped herself up on her own. "Shingo, how long have I been out?"

"Not very long at all your Highness." He said respectfully. "I found you on the ground, yonder." Makoto looked in the direction he had indicated. On the ground she saw something sparkle, just barely visible in the wet, green grass. Standing she went to retrieve the object. Feeling its loss from her person as a physical thing. Like an appendage. Picking the emerald up, she stroked it unconsciously. Makoto regarded Shingo again. The young thirteen year old was still sitting on the slab a few feet away.

"Would Milady be needing anything? Water? Some wine?" he asked.

"No thank you Shingo. I think I've had my fill of wine for the night."

"It's almost morning Milady."

"Well then, I'll need to be getting to bed then."

"Good morning then Milady."

Makoto started to walk slowly towards the door, all of the events of the night rushing back to her as she progressed. _'I must do something about these thoughts that are plaguing me!' _her mind screamed. Her hand stilled in its stroking of the emerald she held. Several things seemed to fall into place at once. Turning on her heal quickly, she retraced her steps to the slab. Grabbing a very surprised Shingo by the collar, she brought him to his feet.

"You Highness?!" He squeaked in surprise.

"You're coming with me Shingo," she smirked delightedly. "And go grab those shears from the back storage. I need to gather some presents." Makoto released the bewildered Shingo, who ran off somewhere towards the back of the large room. The Jovian princess looked up once again at the night sky, the stars were beginning to slowly disappear and dawn drew near. Smiling she traversed the ground to the roses and began to make her way deeper into the immense garden, all thoughts of sleep gone from her mind.

_Continued...._

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Well, that was a doosey. 


	5. Chapter 4: An Encounter

Finally, I got another chapter written. Please excuse any typos and grammar problems you may encounter below. Most of my writing is done around 1 or 2 in the morning, seeing as how my day is filled with work and classes, and I'm a regular night owl. (Drawing is my main thing, and I'm a detail freak...)

Thank you for your reviews again!!! ::happiness:: I do look at everyone's profiles/sites/whatever else is in there and I try to read some of your stories (and have in fact! I need to review as well don't I..)

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**Chapter 4: An Encounter**

Shinozaki stood at the dock watching the old ship rise into the night sky. He wondered at why his princess did not wish to replace the heap of a vessel. There were much more modern and grand designs she could obtain. The ship had withstood countless enemies, from the monsters in the abyss of space to time itself. Though, when he thought on it some more, he found that the answer should be quite obvious to begin with. She was not one for travel, staying within the perimeter of the planet and her territory. So the commission of a new ship would not really be necessary. Also, there were her own excuses for favoring the old ship over any other. She had told him one day, when he had brought the subject up, that if it was good enough for her father then it was good enough for her as well. She then argued that the ship was in fine shape, and that it would last a thousand more years if need be. Why fix something that isn't broken to begin with? The subject was inevitably closed that day.

'_I suppose it does not matter that the ship is just a bunch of wood and sails. It is her power that will take them to the Moon,' _he thought. He was right. The heart of the ship was really her. The power of Makoto's crystal was what moved the huge ship and protected the crew. When the ship left the atmosphere, it would form one of its own under the princess's will. From that point on it would be a smooth, fast voyage to the Moon. To the event she dreaded. He really did hope she found some enjoyment in the events that awaited her at the Palace of the Moon. He knew that if it were himself, he would very much like to spend a month there. The palace was a gorgeous place.

'_Shingo will absolutely love it I bet.' _He found himself smiling. Shingo was probably the closest thing Makoto had to family. Shinozaki had found him in the East Jovian plains, half starved and barely breathing. Makoto herself had nursed him back to health. She also found him a job to do, so that he had a place to stay, and insisted on paying him for his services. She favored the young boy in her own way. Though she tried to remain impersonal with everyone she came in contact with, around Shingo he could see small slips here and there. She praised him with a smile on occasion, or put him to less menial tasks when she was in the garden. She even found a few reasons to raise his earnings. Shinozaki saw how protective she was of the boy. Makoto probably did not have a clue as to what she was doing when she took him with her. In fact Shinozaki was so pleased to hear that the boy was to go with her that he offered to take care of the roses in his absence. The princess agreed, but told him of a few others she was entrusting with the task as well. Shingo was just as surprised that she was taking him with her. Shinozaki couldn't think of a better person to watch her back at the palace. Shingo's small, innocent presence might serve to lighten her mood a bit in the gala that awaited her. Though in some subjects Makoto herself might be more innocent than even she realized.

He knew his princess was strong and clever, but there were certain things he still worried about. She'd had no parental figure for a long time. Basically raising herself, she chose the subjects that were important for her to learn. That meant anything not dealing with swordplay, warfare, or tactics were tossed unceremoniously to the side to await the day they might be needed. In his mind, that pile contained what many people would consider life itself. There are events that never take place on a battle field. Things that are not taught in a practice yard, donning armor and weaponry. Things that one cannot feel in the heat of battle, but are just as rushed and passionate. These could very well be the things that break Makoto or make her even powerful than she already is. If she were to embrace what awaits her, she might become whole. If she turns it all away, it could be the end of her.

_'Please Jove, do not let her innocense be her downfall...or a source of embarrassment to her,' _Shinozaki laughed lightly to himself. He sounded like a big brother, hoping his little sister wasn't going to be picked on during study lessons. He knew he himself was protective of Makoto, and he always would be. "Good luck Milady and be sure to come back in one piece," he said to the small speck in the night sky. Turning he walked back towards the castle. Passing Nephrite on the way, Shinozaki noted the dark look he gave the retreating ship. He knew the princess was right about Nephrite, he would have to keep a close watch on the other captain. _'But for now, I should see to those roses...'_

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Shingo couldn't sleep. He shifted uncomfortably on his makeshift cot in steerage. The small room was peaceful, with the silence being broken only by an occasional turning of the rudder every now and then. Shingo watched as the navigator glanced at his compass and then over a chart that was laid on the small table before him. The man picked up a quill and put a few marks on the map while running a hand over his haggard face. Putting the quill down, he sighed. The candle was burning dimly in the corner of the room. His relief would be coming soon, and that meant he'd finally be able to get some much needed rest. Everyone else seemed so tired already to Shingo. He really should be taking advantage of this rest period. However, he just couldn't calm down. He was so excited to actually be going to the Palace of the Moon. For someone of his low position this was quite a treat. One that others of his class would most likely never receive. And he had Makoto to thank for it. 

When she told him that he was to accompany her on her journey to the Moon, he couldn't believe his luck. Why did she bring him? Surely there were more worthy candidates for such a trip. After getting over the initial shock of her announcement he had carried out all of her orders in preparation and made sure to give extra special care to the garden before they departed. He really hoped that Shinozaki knew what he was doing when he offered to take care of the garden. Makoto, thankfully, left a few able people to tend to it in case the man was unable to accomplish the task.

Rolling over again, Shingo gave up. Throwing the sheets off of his body, he left his cot and headed for the door. As he was leaving the navigator stopped him and requested that he deliver a message to the princess.

"Tell her that we've passed the orbit of Mars. At the rate we're going now, we'll be arriving on time in about two days."

Shingo nodded to the man in conformation of his message and left. Most of the crew had been ordered to rest by the princess, but there could still be one or two on duty elsewhere. Shingo climbed the ladder that led to the deck. He lifted the hatch and threw it back, climbing up. The chilled air made him shiver slightly as he replaced the hatch quietly. Looking around he noticed there was no one else on deck. Well, he knew the princess was up here somewhere. She preferred being up top than anywhere else in the ship for some reason. Her quarters were unused for most of the journey.

Shingo started for the quarter deck pausing only to notice a dark shape moving around at the bow of the ship, _'Must be the watch,_' he guessed, moving aft. Ascending the steps he found Makoto sprawled on her back with one arm resting over her eyes, the other situated behind her head like a pillow. He hesitated at the top step for a moment, debating on whether he should bother her or not. His debate ended when she lifted the her arm and silently motioned for him to come. When he obeyed the gesture she returned her arm to its original place over her eyes. Coming close next to her, he sat down cross-legged.

"I have a message from the navigator Milady. He says that we've passed the orbit of Mars and that we'll be arriving at the Palace on time. That'll be in about two days." Shingo pulled a few threads from the frayed cuff of his shirt as he spoke.

"Feh...yeah, we don't wanna be late now, do we?" Makoto mumbled from beneath her arm.

Shingo twirled the frayed ends between his fingers. "Will it be a bad thing if we are?" he asked.

"Most likely. I don't think they'd be too happy if I showed up after the ball. Think I did it on purpose or something. Understandable I guess. Considering I've already thought of it," she smirked.

Shingo flicked a small string across the deck. Regarding Makoto he asked, "Milady, why are you lying out here, instead of in your quarters?"

Makoto sighed in exasperation, "Keeping watch of course." She said this like it was the most obvious thing in the universe. All the while her arm continued to rest over her eyes.

Shingo merely nodded. Then remembering she couldn't see him he replied with a small, "Oh...," Still a bit confused. "Then wh–"

"It's good that we'll be there soon though Shingo. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave." Makoto rolled onto her stomach so that she was now face down on the deck, cushioning her forehead with her arms.

Shingo decided to ignored her aloofness. "What is the Palace like Milady?" Shingo had heard a little from Shinozaki about the Palace, but not much beyond that. Her answer was a little disappointing.

"Don't really remember much about it. I know its big, but I was really little when we visited it. Everything was big back then."

"Oh...and the people? What are they like?"

"No idea," came the muffled reply, "I was kinda shy at the time, so I didn't meet anyone."

Shingo was a bit surprised by this, "Well, have you ever met the other princesses?"

"Nope."

"Really?" Shingo couldn't believe it.

"Really...," she answered. "But don't worry, we'll be meeting them at the ball. Then have an entire month to become _acquainted_." Her voice was sarcastic.

"We?!" Shingo squeaked. "I'm to meet them as well?"

Makoto moved her head sideways so that she could see Shingo. "Of course. Why wouldn't you? I mean if you don't wanna...I see no reason in making you. I should be the only one who has to suffer through this month."

Shingo didn't know whether to jump for joy or go find a nice place to hide until it was all over. Imagine that. Shingo, a servant boy, was going to meet the royalty of the Moon Kingdom. He found himself wondering how they were going to treat him as he pulled more threads from his pant leg. What if he wasn't liked? Were they going to look down on him because he was a servant? He bowed his head. Of course they would, they were royalty. Shingo's thoughts were interrupted as a hand rested over his own, stilling his nervous fidgeting.

"Would you stop that already? We can't have a boy in threadbare clothes representing the House of Jupiter." She removed her hand. "Guess I'll have an extra set of clothes prepared for you along with your formal attire when we get to the Palace."

Shingo rested his hands in his lap. "Thank you Milady." He sat for a few seconds, thinking on her words, then it hit him. "Formal?! What do you mean formal attire?!" He practically shouted. He was beginning to panic.

"Now what's wrong with you? I wasn't going to mention it until we got there, but yes, you'll be attending the ball with the rest of us Shingo. I don't see why you can't."

"B-but, I'll be the only servant boy there!"

"It's not going to be that bad, there should be some other boys there to...I think. Honestly, no one will even notice anyway."

What was she saying?! Of course they'd notice. He was going to be the only small, Jovian, servant boy at a ball full of warriors and royalty. Shingo was about to request of her to forget the formal attire and let him stay in his room during the ball. However, he stopped when she put a hand on his shoulder. He lifted his head to find her sitting up in front of him.

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about Shingo. As long as you stick with me no one will bother you, and if they do it'll be the last anyone sees of them anyway." She took her hand from his shoulder and made a fist. "I'll protect you and the others no matter what. Nobody messes with my people." Her face was a cold mask of calm.

Shingo bowed his head and started to wonder exactly how far she would go to protect them. He knew how strong Makoto was, but he didn't wish any hurt on her in his place. At the same time, though, he was very relieved to hear her words. They took away any doubt he'd had before, and left him feeling safe. It made his heart swell to think that Makoto held him as one of her own people, and that he would be treated as and equal. Smiling, Shingo thanked his princess and raised his head to tell her that he'd be fine. What he saw, however, made him freeze in mid thought. Makoto's piercing gaze was directed at something over his right shoulder. Towards the direction in which he had entered the quarter deck. She already had a small dagger in one hand and her other seemed to be forming a gesture that was directed at him. As his brain quickly sorted all of these pieces into place, he finally got his senses together enough to follow the motion of her hand. Which was quite obviously telling him to move his ass out of the way, and fast.

Shingo obliged by lunging to the left just as Makoto was diving over his rapidly moving form. He hit the wooden deck hard and rolled several times, knocking into the railing. Scrambling, he made his way to the cover of some nearby wooden boxes. As soon as he was behind them, Shingo spun to observe the scene that lay before him. Makoto was charging a shape that slowly emerged onto the quarter deck. As it came into view Shingo ducked further behind the crate in fear, feeling extremely defenseless. "Ch–Chimera," he whispered. His voice cracked as he gripped the crate tightly.

The beast roared, barreling violently towards Shingo's protector as a bright flash of light flooded the ship. The thunder roared back....

_Continued..._

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Dun dun dun... 

(I apologize for the format of this story btw. Haven't had time to figure out how to fix it.)


	6. Chapter 5: A Delay

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Hey, I turned20 today (2/10). Not a teenager anymore...funny, doesn't feel any different.

I'm trying.

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**Chapter 5: A Delay**

Makoto knew it was there. The realization came sometime around the second day of the trip, she guessed. Though one could not really tell much of what day it was when traveling faster than the speed of light through space. There were those who kept track of the hours; she was not one of them. The first sign had been the feathers. Well, there had only been two, and small at that. But Makoto knew that none of the cargo on the upper deck contained anything of that nature. Suspicion led to investigation and then to discovery. So as not to arouse alarm aboard her ship, she investigated the matter solely on her own.

Yesterday had been spent nonchalantly surveying the deck. In fact, Makoto had not been below since sometime after she pulled the tallies of the ship's cargo many hours before. Once she found that she was indeed right about the contents, she then noticed that there was a crate unaccounted for. And that's when the order for the crew to rest came in. She didn't need any of them getting in the way when she took care of what she presumed to be residing inside the large wooden box. It was most almost definitely a Chimera. Coming to the conclusion was quite easy when one considered the size of the crate and the quality of the feathers. She had seen those same feathers on occasion during her training throughout the years and already knew how to deal with them. It wouldn't be so hard to put this one away as long as no one interfered.

The one thing she couldn't figure out, though, was how quiet it was being. Did it know that she knew of its presence? Was it waiting for an opportune moment to strike? From what she knew of the beasts, patience did not come easily to them. So she found it strange that it had yet to make its move. So she waited. The crate sat at the stern of the ship among the others for hours upon hours, while she herself took "watch" at the bow, on the quarter deck. The crew would rest for several more hours. If it did not emerge before then, she would have no choice but to approach it herself. Which could prove to be very dangerous, for Chimeras were tricky creatures. It was bound to have a plan formed if she even came near the crate. Knowing the beast must be keeping watch on her as well, she tried to make herself appear as if off guard to see if she could lure it out. Makoto feigned sleep, as she lay at the bow, but her senses were on alert for any source of movement. She would bring the Chimera to her first, where she'd deal with it on equal terms with no threat of traps.

Light was a dim thing, glowing silently, swallowed by the blackness of space around her. A few lanterns had been placed around the ship, not many of the crew frequented the top deck anyway. There was no reason to, when everything was really done in steerage. As long as she was there, the ship continued its fast trek across the solar system. She had more than enough energy to get them there. Despite this, she had to make sure that none of them would be on deck for her wait.

After some hours passed, Makoto was about ready to give up her long visual when something changed. Shifting a little from side to side, she tried to discern what it was. There was no hint of movement in her peripheral vision; there were no sounds either. She was beginning to get restless. It wasn't something she felt with her physical senses, but something inside of her, a feeling of...well, something. It wasn't friendly or welcoming at all, but that didn't matter. Somehow the feeling was right, there was a kind of kinship with the emotion. She lay quite still, waiting for it to become clearer and attempting to steady her thoughts. Suddenly there was another feeling, and it was one that suggested violence and malice. She'd felt this plenty of times before, again there was a rightness to it. Then she realized that part of the emotions were being directed at her.

_'Nothin alright about that_,' she thought, _'now get your slow ass over here so I can kill you.' _Makoto knew what it was now, and opened herself to the emotions. The more she allowed herself to feel it, the more exact the position of the Chimera was. _'That's it, come on now, I've been waiting here for hours!'_ her mind screamed. She wanted to run at it right now and rip it to pieces. Feel its hot blood pour from the wounds she was soon to inflict upon it. The restlessness was growing, along with the emotions rushing through her. _'What a rush...what is this?...'_ lying there, she began to sweat. Her mind was a jumble of confused thoughts. Some telling her to go for it, others begging her to listen to reason. She was apt to jump up right then and forget her plans all together. At the same time, though, she knew that was wrong, it wasn't her, was it?

Soon another emotion came crashing into the rest as she heard the hatch open on the lower deck. Was it annoyance, worry, fear? _'Oh damn, not good,' _she thought as Shingo's unmistakable mop of brown hair peeked over the now open hatch. Emerging completely onto the deck, he paused but a moment before coming closer to her. When he neared her spot on the quarter deck, he hesitated in approaching her . Makoto's thoughts were together in a snap, her body relaxed slightly against the cool wood of the deck. She rubbed her shirt sleeve over her face slowly, removing the dampness there.

_'Well crap, get over here.' _She waved him over, never moving from her position to avoid making the beast retreat, she didn't want it to know that she was aware of it's presence. Makoto was just going to have to make some adjustments to her original plan.

Shingo came to her and sat down, blocking her view of the dark figure. Not that she was looking at it anyway. Shouldn't need to see it, she could feel it. Her mind was not as chaotic as it had been moments before, but the feeling was still there, threatening to take control of her. The beast was stopped now, probably pondering how to deal with this new development as she was. Shingo's voice broke into her emotional maelstrom as he relayed a message from the navigator. So they were making good time, she had expected nothing less. This could have waited and now she was really annoyed. She wondered if he'd noticed anything at the stern when he came from the lower deck. Makoto needed to keep her mind clear right now and keep Shingo from asking the wrong questions, and if that meant having a long conversation with him, then so be it.

So of course the first thing he wanted to know waswhy she was out here to begin with. _'Dammit, I was hoping he wouldn't ask that.' _

Keeping watch of course," she asnwered him, sighing loudly. _'Oh that was a great answer, thank Jove he's only thirteen, else I'd feel a bit stupid telling anyone older I'm keeping watch with my eyes closed._' He started picking at his clothes.

"Oh" was his small reply, but seeing as how he was still a bit confused, she decided to take over the direction of their talk.

"It's good that we'll be there soon though Shingo. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave." Makoto rolled onto her stomach so that she was now face down on the deck, cushioning her forehead with her arms. _'Ain't that the truth.'_ She again noticed that he was picking at his clothes, and for some reason this was really starting to grate on her nerves. Shingo had been nervous from the moment they'd set foot on the ship and seemed to stay that way ever since. _'__Fidgeting...why does he keep doing that!'_

He continued asking her questions, weird ones, about the palace and the princesses and other things she could really care less about. All the while Shingo's pant leg was becoming more thread bare by the moment. _'Why is he getting so nervous and excited about this?'_ When she told him that he was going to meet the other royalty he seemed fit to explode or something.

They'd elapsed into silence, his fidgeting now reaching an all time high. _'Dammit, that's it.'_ reaching out, she stopped Shingo's hand with her own. _'Why'd I do that?'_ She quickly gave him an excuse about needing to properly represent Jupiter and all that formal mess, and removed her hand from over his. She quickly became annoyed with herself._ 'Why am I becoming mad at Shingo? Such a trivial thing shouldn't matter to me like this. Something's wrong here.'_

Shingo quickly figured out that he was attending the ball with her, and his reaction was something of a surprise. _'What's wrong now?' _she thought, as well as voiced.

If he was going to explode before, he was about to turn to dust where he sat stock still with shock. The boy was obviously becoming distressed over this whole event. He began to ramble about being the only servant boy there and other such nonsense. Funny, she had never once thought of him as a servant. His duress was uncalled for really, considering that fact that all the attention would be directed at the long absent princess and her Jovian soldiers. _'Ha! Bet they won't see that coming.'_ Makoto had no 'court' her fellow warriors were here counsel. She'd brought an even number of her best men and women with her. They would all train together to pass the time, she'd figured. _'Shingo can hide behind one of them if it becomes to much for him,' _she truly was concerned for the boy at the moment, he seemed so afraid of these people_. 'They're just a bunch of pampered princesses, nothing to be afraid of there. What he should really be fearing is the thing lurking behind him somewhere back there in the darkness.' _

As her mind shifted to the other matter...the one that was now absent from her being, she cursed. _'Shit, now what? The feeling is gone. How did that happen? Hells, when did it happen?'_

She needed to locate the beast, and she needed to do it now. It could be anywhere, and Shingo was still here. Her plans were falling apart, everything would be ruined. Someone could die if she didn't act soon. Sitting up, she put a hand on Shing's small shoulder, she wanted to make him feel a little better as well as take a look behind him.

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about Shingo. As long as you stick with me no one will bother you, and if they do it'll be the last anyone sees of them anyway." She took her hand from his shoulder and made a fist. "I'll protect you and the others no matter what. Nobody messes with my people." Her face was a cold mask of calm.

Shingo bowed his head and Makoto looked beyond him...straight at two glowing red orbs that seemed to float in the darkness that covered the stairs to the deck. Sweat started to bead on her forehead as her other hand was occupied with sliding a small knife free from her tattered leather boot.

_'Alright now, there's no going back for either of us,' _she thought as Shingo looked up, _'For any of us,_' she corrected. Her gaze was still fixed on the eyes in the darkness. They were moving now, coming closer, bringing that feeling with them. Makoto made a motion for Shingo to move, he needed to be out of her way and find someplace safe. _'Move dammit!'_ she yelled in her mind. Her hand waving furiously to the right. Finally, the boy got the message. The moment he moved she was already leaping over him, running at the creature now emerging onto the quarter deck.

The Chimera stormed onto the deck in a burst of speed that rivaled anything she'd ever encountered. It was much bigger than she had originally anticipated. Her reaction was one of amazement, and she found herself wondering how it had fit into that crate. _'Must have been quite an uncomfortable ride.' _

This Chimera looked to be a combination of a feline body and a serpentine tail. Its head was equine, but the mouth was horribly disfigured by a set of large teeth; it would take three of the dagger she held to match them. Most amazing of all was its size. It was easily two times as tall as she was. Now that was saying something. The height of Jovians was one of the main characteristics that distinguished them from the other races in the kingdom. The men were usually taller than the woman, however, Makoto had obtained her father's height, so that she towered over most male fighters.

When she finally confronted the creature, her power was barely constrained. She didn't want to have to use any of it for this battle if she didn't need to. However, she let a small storm brew up in the atmosphere of the ship to intimidate and hopefully confuse the creature.

Oily black wings flapped violently towards her as she leapt to the left, feeling the wind against her body. It unsteadied her just long enough for the Chimera to swipe at her with a paw full of sharp claws. She was clipped on the arm briefly and a pain shot up her shoulder. Ignoring it, she came around and under the beast's outstretched foreleg. Before it could pull back, she used her own swiftness to slice at the area whereleg connected to body. Black blood splattered her retreating hand as she rolled clear of the beast's other leg. She felt the deck rumble below her as its front legs came crashing down in a tangle while it was trying to tear at her moving form.

Jumping to her feet, she spun to take advantage of the Chimera's folly. Running forward as fast as her legs would carry her, she used her strength to drive her sharp blade into the long mussel that came up as her blade drove down, adding to the force. It lodged deeply with a slight crunching noise that she could only assume was bone or cartilage. The Chimera made a noise somewhere between a roar and a loud hiss. Either way, it seemed she had really pissed it off. Lifting its mussel, the Chimera jerked roughly upwards, crashing into her lower jaw to send her flying backwards onto the deck. The back of her head bounced against the wood with a thunk. _'_

_Shit-shit-shit-oooouch!'_ Makoto scrunched her eyes shut from the pain.

She grabbed the back ofher head to make sure her brain wasn't hanging out anywhere. _'Damn that hurt.' _She'd now lost her knife, it was still in the Chimera's mussel. The thing's head was flailing back and forth, sprinkling the deck, and her, with its ebony blood.

"I'm gonna have headaches after this one." Makoto's eyes shot open as she heard something beneath the floor she was currently lying on. There were voices and a small thundering that could only be human feet. The crew had roused, she would have to kill this thing fast. Rolling quickly to the right, she just avoided being stomped. And then to the left...avoided being stomped again. _'Get on yer damn feet stupid!'_ her mind jeered at her.

Rolling forward with a grunt took her under the Chimera, slipping between its hind legs to jump freely to her feet behind it. _'Now that was some dumb ass luck!' _Spinning, she kicked it squarely in its rear.

"Ha!" Makoto shouted triumphantly at the beast. Then ran to the side, in the opposite direction it was turning. It was becoming more ornery every moment. _'I don't wanna do this, but I'm gonna have to. Nobody on my ship is going to die just so we can get to some dumb ball on time.'_

With her mind made up, she began to taunt the Chimera harshly. If it became mad enough then it would also become reckless and disoriented. She was actually starting to enjoy this. A slow smiled formed on her lips as she jumped in to pull a feather from the powerful black wings. Procuring it, with a loud screech from the creature. She hadn't heard that one yet.

_'Wonder how many sounds it makes.' _Makoto grinned, _'Maybe I can find out.' _Now she used her true power, the element that Jupiter had endowed her with. The one she protected. Raising her hand in a careless gesture lighting fell upon the beast in short bursts, making it cry out in pain. It twisted upon the deck, writhing, as she rained more and more bolts over it. She wanted to torture it, make it feel this pain for as long as she could keep it alive. Her eyes had taken on a deadly glare as she observed the Chimera. It was weak now, weak enough to simply kill. She could kill it with one shock, so why didn't she?

Her mind refocused as something touched her arm. Whirling to intercept it, Makoto found herself gripping Shingo's small wrist with all her might. Eyes cleared along with her mind and the air around them as well. There was no more electricity dancing in the atmosphere, the storm was over.

She let out a shaky breath as Shingo held something out to her. It glittered in the pale light of the lanterns. Her sword. How had she forgotten her weapon. She'd hidden it on the deck where she would easily be able to get at it if need be. But being so into the moment as she was, it was forgotten. There was a crash to the right of them. Looking up, Makoto could make out figures rushing up onto the deck. They made it to the quarter deck and stopped upon seeing the Chimera. They all had weapons, and were looking quite bewildered at the site of a very crispy, very large creature on the deck they had been sleeping under only moments before.

Releasing Shingo, Makoto took her sword. Walking over to the twitching animal, she lodged the sword into its chest, blood pooled out onto the deck, slipping around her feet. The twitching stopped and letting out one large breath, the Chimera died.

The warriors broke out in cheers and applause for their princess. She had single handedly killed such a huge beast, that would have taken their collective group to bring down. They each bowed deeply to her and sheathed their own sword, as she cleaned her's free of the dark blood.

Makoto looked at Shingo again, _'If he hadn't come to me...how long would I have stood there?'_ She ran a hand over her weary face.

"I'm going to need rest now. I've used up much of my power that I'd reserved for this journey. We're going to have to get this mess cleaned up soon before it starts to stink. Keep the claws and teeth as usual, the feathers as well. Put the rest in the extra crate on the lower deck and seal it tight. It should be fine until we can dispose of it when we reach the moon."

This was going to mess things up quite a bit for them. They were going to be a bit late. She could get them there before the ball, but it was going to be very close. Her warriors and she weren't going to get much of a rest when they landed. As long as they had enough time to clean up and get themselves looking half decent, she had no qualms with that. It wasn't her fault or their's that a Chimera had been slipped on board.

"Listen up...we're going to be late." her warriors suddenly looked a little crestfallen. _'They really wanna go to this thing don't they.'_ "Worry not though. We should arrive in enough time for you to prepare for the gala. There will be time to clean up, we'll leave the ship maintenance until afer the event." She walked towards the stairs, "I'm going to rest, the ship will continue on a steady course. Navigator, return to your post and keep me updated as to our progress." The crew dispersed to complete their appointed tasks.

"What about me Milady?" Shingo's small voice asked.

Makoto looked to him again and smiled slightly. She looked over at the carnage laying on the deck, then back. "Come with me, I'll see if I can gather something up for you to wear for the ball. Can't have you going threadbare now can we?"

Shingo laughed lightly. "Suppose not Milady."

"Sorry we won't be having time to get those clothes made for you. Maybe afterwards?"

Shingo nodded his head. "Anything is fine with me Milady." Makoto nodded to his agreement and walked off down the stairs to her cabin.

Shingo reached up to wipe away a tear that had somehow managed to slip down along his cheek. "As long as you're alive Milady,anything andeverything is fine," he whispered to her retreating back.

_Continued..._

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**Apologies for any typos and whatnot.**

I'm trying. Harder now with classes and all. But now we get to the fun stuff...

Put a sketch up on Mediaminer under the same pen name. It's one of Makoto (nothing to do with this story).

Two AIM themes on mytheme (do a search on Jupiter and Mercury - theme author: sangomiroku)


	7. Chapter 6: A Charade

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Chapter 6: A Charade

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Two sets of soft footsteps were the only sounds in the now deserted corridor of the Palace of the Moon. Shingo walked swiftly by the side of a female Jovian warrior They were just returning from their assigned task The soft light from small arched windows illuminated there path in the dark hall. Every other living soul was at the ball celebrating. It had taken a little less than a candle mark to deliver all the gifts to each princess's chamber. They were supposed to be delivered while the princesses were at the ball so that they might open them afterwards when they returned to their rooms. The night had swiftly bore down upon them. All of the crew, having donned their attire for the ball, left quite awhile ago. He, the princess, and the lady warrior he walked with were going to be terribly late and he knew it.

The princess had helped them unload all the gifts and dispose of the Chimera. When they'd arrived, Makoto went to explain to the palace guard the circumstances of their late arrival and the crate they carried aboard. She ordered the rest of the crew off to the ball with a message and apology to be delivered to the queen and princess. She would apologize personally later. The immediate concern was getting rid of their unexpected extra cargo, which had been done without question. Many of the guests were on their way to the ball at that time, which confirmed their suspicions as to how late they really were. Some of them had stopped to stare at the antique of a ship that now occupied the harbor. Many tried to catch a glimpse of the rustic crew and their princess, though they had already departed to ready themselves for the ball. The palace guard took care of any loose ends, telling her she should take her leave, for they knew she needed to be at the ball.

Shingo was halted in front of a pair of large white double doors. The doors bore the sign of Jupiter engraved into their center. The lady warrior stepped forward and knocked twice on the thick wood. A muffled reply was all they got, at least to Shingo's ears. The woman beside him must have understood, for she pushed the door open and entered ahead of him. Padding in behind her, he took in the surroundings. It was clear for whom it was intended to accommodate. Almost everything in the room had Jupiter's royal colors on it. It was one of the most amazing rooms he had ever seen. His eyes were wide as he noted the large bed, with emerald green sheets that matched the carpeted floor and even the curtains. The ceiling was a huge dome, much like the one back home in the garden had been, except it that it was closed and made totally of glass and iron. The windows that lined the far wall stretched from the ceiling to the floor. From what he could tell through the partially closed curtains, they looked like they led onto a balcony of some sort . The walls were adorned with tapestries and various ornaments that reflected that of Jovian styles. Two in particular caught his eye and he leaned forward a bit trying to get a better look. There were two swords mounted on the far right wall that might serve more as decoration than anything. They were of different sizes, with one being larger and more plain, while the other was smaller and a bit more ornamented.

Someone spoke, pulling his attention away from the swords. "This has got to be one of the most useful books I've read lately," Makoto walked into the large room, carrying an extremely thick book in her left hand and something small and shiny in her right. She'd come from a door that must lead to a wash room. "Though I don't read much to begin with, so that shouldn't be a real surprise." She walked purposefully toward a round table set in the corner. On the table were many gifts from the other princesses. Many opened gifts he noted.

"Highness," the woman beside him smiled, "you weren't supposed to open those yet."

"Whose to know if I open them now or later? Besides, one of them has proved very useful to me." Sitting the book on the table, she pulled the sleeve of her shirt up revealing a long gash in her arm. One that was now held together by rather uneven stitches. "It's a book of medicine. Tells ya about lots of cures to different illnesses. Also had quite a bit about treating open wounds and preventing infection. Useful stuff."

"Um, princess, don't tell me you–"

"Did it myself," Makoto finished for her, holding up the needle with her right hand. She then pulled a cloth from her back pocket and began to wrap it around the injury.

Shingo looked at her in disbelief. He'd forgotten that the Chimera had managed to wound Makoto during their fight. She'd said nothing about it afterwards, so he figured it must be nothing. After seeing the injury, however, he knew she should probably see a healer soon after the ball.

"And don't start with me Boarder. I'll see a healer after the ball," Makoto said, then used her teeth to tie the cloth in a knot, securing it on her arm.

Shingo smiled, as her words echoed his thoughts.

The lady warrior, Boarder, laughed lightly and walked over to the princess. She stopped at the table and looked down at the much praised book. "_Medical Treatment for Various Maladies and Mishaps_," she read aloud. "So, who's this one from?"

Makoto picked up a small blue card and handed it to Boarder.

"The princess of Mercury is it? She has quite a long name now doesn't she?" the woman noted, reading the full name at the beginning of the card silently to herself. "Oh, seems you won't have to use it though. She's added an abbreviation she prefers to be addressed by. Ami is short enough, a bit of a strange name." Putting the card down, she scanned over the other presents. "What's this?" she picked up a small yellow bag.

"No idea," Makoto answered, taking the bag in her own hands, "But I don't intend to find out until I ask the Princess of Venus." Opening the bag, she let Boarder look inside. "It's some sorta powdery gold ash or something." She tied the bag again.

"Weird," the other woman replied. "Maybe it's a medical herb of some kind? These people must think you get yourself banged up a lot," she laughed.

"Well, this other one definitely isn't for healing purposes. It's pretty nice. Though I've never had a knack for archery." Makoto held up a long wooden war bow. It was a very fine weapon, dyed green with carvings of oak leaves running up and down its length. She had yet to string it, but knew that it would not disappoint. "I'll have to start practicing I guess," she set it back on the table.

"And that was from the war goddess?" Boarder asked.

"Ha!" Makoto barked. "I'd bet my right eye that she's never been in a real battle, let alone a war. Probably soft, like the rest of them."

Boarder frowned for a moment. "Strength isn't everything Highness, they may posses some very useful skills."

"I wonder if you're right. However, they've been kept under a secure guard for so long. None of them have even been able to fight, and beside that, nothing massive enough has ever gotten through the outer defenses to provide much of a challenge. I see to that as well."

"Not everything is solved in battle Highness..."

Makoto turned to say something back, but Shingo stopped her. "Milady! Why are you not dressed for the ball yet?"

Both women turned to the boy. In their debate, they'd forgotten he was there. Boarder looked back to Makoto, noticing that she still wore her loose shirt and rough pants. She and the boy were already dressed for the ball; they had done so before delivering the gifts. Boarder's face took on a slightly panicked look.

"How can you not be dressed! You're going to be ridiculously late if you don't hurry." She started making a shooing motion with her hands, directing Makoto to the other side of the room.

Makoto made her own shooing motion towards Boarder, and sped off to the wash room. "Alright already! My clothes are in here, and I've got em all laid out so I can just throw em on. We're already late. Being a little later won't matter now anyway."

Boarder rolled her eyes and waved her hand in the air in front of her in an exasperated motion. "That's not the point! You don't just throw clothes on for a ball. It takes time to prepare yourself to look decent. Put a little thought into it and you'll look great." She, herself, was wearing a long shimmering green dress that showed her perfect figure nicely. Boarder was one of the most beautiful women in the princess's army, and one of the best warriors. She knew this, and liked to show it off as much as she could. And it wasn't every day that she was able to attend such a formal event. She knew the princess hated these kinds of things, but she should still look her best. Boarder could only wonder how the princess was going to react when she informed her that it was to be a masquerade as well.

A few moments later, Makoto emerged from the wash room. "Alright then, I await your inspection. It's been a really long time since I've worn anything like this." Shingo and Boarder turned to appraise their princess. When they saw her they were slightly shocked. Makoto wore a long dark green jacket lined in black, with a white vest underneath. They fit her tall lithe figure perfectly, from her white pants to the tall black leather boots she wore. Her cape was thrown over her left shoulder and the top few buttons of her shirt were left undone. She, in all honesty, looked like the royalty she was. There was only one problem in Boarder's opinion.

"Your highness," she gulped slightly, "were you intending on taking on the appearance of a...er..handsome...male?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you see, when you put on the mask no one will see your face and well..."

"Mask? What mask? Why would I wear a mask?"

"See that's the thing. I heard just a short while ago that the ball was recently changed to a masquerade ball. It was the Princess's wish that it be done."

Makoto just stood there looking at her like she'd grown another head. Moving to sit in a chair by the table she asked, "And where am I supposed to get a mask? I wasn't prepared for this at all." Her eyes lit up for a moment. "Hey, since I don't have one, why should I go? Nobody told me about it, so it's not my fault."

Boarder shook her head, and Shingo stepped around her, handing Makoto two masks. "Sorry, they already thought of that one. Seems like you're going weather you like it or not."

"Damn." Makoto took the masks from Shingo. One was a black, half face mask trimmed in green with the symbol of Jupiter on the forehead. It was covered in a thin layer of metal with delicate gold etchings of oak leaves scattered across its surface. It would hide most of her features, all but her mouth. The other was a small, dark green mask of a more plain design that would cover only her eyes. It also bore the sign of Jupiter, but much smaller. If she picked that one, she'd do better to not even bother wearing one at all. It's not like anyone would recognize her anyway. She thought on this, then, suddenly, an idea hit her. She could get through this thing with little trouble at all. Boarder had said that she'd look like a man if no one could see her face. She set the green mask down and put the black one on, fastening it securely so it wouldn't fall off. Getting up from her seat, she went to a full length mirror that stood against the wall near the wash room. When she peered into it, she hardly recognized herself. Grinning, Makoto looked over at Boarder and Shingo.

"Boarder, you look like royalty tonight." Boarder blushed in response and looked at the floor.

"Kind of like...a princess. You could pass for one any day I bet."

Boarder jerked her head up to meet Makoto's eyes. "Highness, I am not going to pose as you tonight," she said with firm resolve.

Makoto was unfazed by her response "Oh come on. No one is gonna know till afterward anyway. I don't know any of these people, and I don't want them flocking around me. It's not like we'd be breaking any rules. Hell, this might turn out to be kinda fun. I know how much you love the attention, and you don't even have to pretend, just leave it to their imagination. They'll just assume that you're me."

Boarder looked at the floor, unsure of how to respond. Sure, she did like attention and it seemed like an innocent enough plan. What was she to question her princess anyway. Makoto could very well order her to do it if she so chose. Boarder sighed and answered, "I wouldn't plan on being ignored though, Highness. You might just get more attention than you bargained for."

Makoto was pulling her hair back at the nape of her neck and tying it with a green ribbon. "Oh, I'll just blend into the crowd...maybe find a wall to lean on, or a cushion or something. I'm not obligated to mingle. You'll be doing enough of that for the both of us." Makoto then smiled over at Shingo, "And you can do what you want. Don't worry about anything, Shingo. Stick by me if you like. You might even wanna check out the food. I know I will."

Shingo smiled back in reply.

Makoto pulled at her open collar. "This thing is hot, let's hurry up and get to the ball so we can get back., I'm not feeling so great tonight."

Boarder looked at her, worried. "Are you alright? Do you need something?"

"Na, I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a little warm is all." Makoto started for the door, stopping long enough to remove the large sword, that Shingo had been examining earlier, from the wall. Strapping it to her side, she was on her way. "Well, come on or it'll be over by the time we get there. Not that it'd be a bad thing..."

It was a long stroll down the corridors to the grand hall where the ball was being held. As they approached the noise grew louder. There were sounds of laughter, music, and the steady banter between guests. When they reached the entry way Makoto peered in and was surprised by how large the room was. It was at least three times bigger than her own grand hall back at the Castle of Jupiter. There were hundreds of guests everywhere. Some were dancing or lounging, and others were clustered in groups conversing in many different languages. The variety of people attending the event was also amazing. Their clothing colors varied depending on the planet they were representing. Looking around, Makoto could only spot a few hints of green here and there. Her people were pretty well spread out among the guests.

She felt someone poke her in the side and heard a throat being cleared. Turning, she saw an impatient Boarder motioning for her to go in. Looking once more into the crowded room, she stepped aside and extended her arm, indicating to the other woman that she should go ahead. "Ladies first after all..."

Boarder rolled her eyes and walked ahead of them as they entered the massive room. Walking a little to the right, Makoto scanned the crowd, noticing all the differences she was seeing in the people there. They all had a myriad of hair colors and heights that differed greatly from Jovians. Many of them had turned to see who the newcomers were and conversation broke out anew among the groups that were nearer to them. Makoto spotted the raised dias on the far side of the room and pointed it out to Boarder, who nodded. Going to the queen and apologizing was her first priority, so they headed for the throne. Upon reaching it, Makoto stood next to Boarder in front of the queen and both of them bowed in unison. Makoto doubted that Queen Serenity would remember what she looked like, even if she weren't wearing a mask, but she wasn't going to take the chance in letting her charade fail by making it obvious who she was. So she did everything equally as Boarder did. When they apologized, she made sure to be as vague as possible, as did Boarder. The beautiful woman sitting upon the throne and smiling, notified them that the apology was not necessary at the moment and she would accept further details later. For now she wanted them to relax and enjoy themselves.

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"I do hope you will derive some pleasure from the celebration this night. It has been a long time since so many Jovians have attended a ball at the Palace." The Queen looked out over the crowd as she addressed them. "And it has been a very long time, Princess Makoto, since you have graced our hall." Getting no direct response from either of them, she smiled. "Well, I have kept you long enough. Please, go have fun and get to know some of the other guests." She watched them take there leave, noticing the sword hanging from the hip of the taller of the two. Her smile grew bigger as she thought back to a ball that took place many years ago. Back to another tall rogue who had the same bearing and height. One who would have tried the same sort of trick his daughter was now. "I can already tell...she is very much like her father."

"Excuse me my Queen? Did you say something?" a voice, close by, startled her. The voice belonged to that of Prince Endymion of Earth. He had a questioning look on his face.

"Oh nothing, I was just talking to myself," she answered.

"Well, my Queen, there is no need for that. As you can see, there are plenty of people to talk to." He laughed lightly waving a hand towards the crowd. "One in particular that I am looking for at the moment." He scratched the back of his head.

"Has my daughter gotten herself lost in the crowd again? You should really tie a string to her or something Endymion."

"Well, I'm don't think there is a need for such extremes. You see I already have a string tied to her, as it is to me." He looked out over the crowd. "One that tugs on my heart day after day. It will always lead me back to her."

"I do hope so, Endymion. You are such a romantic and you spoil her so. But I could think of none better to love my daughter."

Still scanning the crowd for the younger Serenity, he finally spotted her. "Ha! There she is...over by the food. Why didn't I think to look there first?"

The Queen shook her head and laughed. Endymion bowed slightly toward her and fairly leapt from the dias in his haste to catch the princess.

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Taking the sign of dismissal, the two dispersed. Makoto's mind was not at ease as she left the dias. She still wondered if the Queen realized which one she was. The woman hadn't exactly spoken to one of them directly. It was more like she looked off into the distance as she talked. Like she either wasn't sure whom to speak to or she didn't really mind either way. Sighing heavily, she wanted to find a place to sit down. Spotting some invitingly soft cushions near a pillar, she made her way towards them, telling Boarder to mingle or whatever it was she did at these things. On the way over to them, she noticed that there were a lot of people staring at her, and it was beginning to make her feel uneasy. She hastened her steps past a group of lounging women who seemed to be arguing about something while stealing glances at her now and then. When she was past them she slowed her steps and looked back over her shoulder at the group. A woman with long blond hair was arguing with a raven haired woman who seemed to be ignoring her. The other girl was ignoring both of them.. Her delicate face was framed by feathery blue hair, and she was following someone with her gaze.

'_Blue?' _Makoto raised one eyebrow, intrigued, _'That's...unique. I wonder if it's naturally that color. Amazing.' _She had completely stopped now as she stared at the group. Her mind was contemplating whether she should go over to them so that she could get a closer look at the girl's hair. Just then the dark haired one was finally acknowledging the blond's existence and said something to her. The blonde turned on her cushion to look over in Makoto's direction. She smiled largely and winked, then turned back to the other girl to say something. Meanwhile the girl she addressed looked over the blonde's shoulder at Makoto and made a strange expression and then shook her head at the blond. The girl then smiled and pointed at Makoto, even as she felt herself being physically pulled backwards. Whoever had grabbed her, spun her around very quickly, pulling her towards the dancers.

'_What the hell?' _Makoto thought as she was almost dragged along by an aqua haired woman. "Hey!" she said, angry. They stopped, suddenly, in the middle of the dancing couples. "What's the idea? I was going to sit down and you just grab me! You got any idea who I– " She stopped herself, realizing she was about to give her identity away already. The aqua haired woman turned to her, smiling. Even with the mask, anyone could tell she was an enchantingly beautiful woman. As her perfect lips were opening to speak, Makoto was trying to flee from the floor. The smile disappeared as the woman grabbed her arm again. This time she got Makoto's wounded one, and holding in a hiss of pain, Makoto conceded to the shorter woman.

"Hey yourself." she laughed at Makoto.

"You must be one of the most handsome and imposing figures here, and you're trying to get through by lounging on a bunch of cushions? Come on, that would be a waste now, wouldn't it?" she arched an eyebrow seductively as she looked over Makoto's shoulder. Makoto tried to turn and see what the woman was looking at, but she was pulled closer.

"Now if you'll be so kind as to lead." They began dancing and having a rather one sided conversation as well.

They danced this way for a while. Many other potential partners were becoming impatient with the woman for monopolizing the striking Jovian. They all wanted to have a turn with such an exquisite dancer.

The woman was talking again after a short time of silence between them. "I didn't know that Jovians were such good dancers."

Makoto looked down at her. "Not all of us are really...my mother taught me to dance. She was most likely the best dancer in the universe."

"So, you really can talk." she smiled. "I also didn't realize Jovian's were so tall. I know another who is a little taller than you," she tightened her eyebrows in a frown. "Though she's not a Jovian, and not nearly as...reserved." her jaw tensed a little. Makoto just continued to lead the dance, uncaring. The woman looked over Makoto's shoulder again. As the music they were dancing to came to an end, the woman released her. Makoto brought a hand up to pull on her open collar. She was feeling over heated again and a bit dizzy for some reason.

"Who is it that you keep looking for?" Makoto asked, letting her eyes drift over the faces of the other dancers. The woman tensed slightly and, noticing Makoto's signs of discomfort, took her arm again and led her towards one of the open archways on the side of the hall. It led out onto a long balcony that stretched the length of the entire hall.

"It's cooler out here." she stated, moving to the railing. Makoto followed her, curiously.

"You're right, it is." There were other people out here, so it was not completely secluded. But it offered slight privacy from the hectic room they had come from. Leaning against the railing, Makoto let her head roll back and breathed in the night air.

"I must admit that I'm using you." the woman laughed lightly. "You've helped me out before you know?" Makoto looked at the her in confusion.

"Huh?"

"I'm surprised you don't remember. As you don't receive many visitors in your castle, do you?"

Makoto looked closely at the woman, taking in her long aqua hair and porcelain like skin. She did look slightly fragile in some ways, but there was something mysterious about her. Then she finally met her eyes and knew who it was. "You!"

The woman laughed. "Yep. It's me. Took you long enough didn't it."

"The wayward artist. Michiru was your name wasn't it? I thought I was rid of you..."

Michiru answered her with much sarcasm. "You actually remembered my name. I'm so flattered." Her voice returned to normal as she continued. "Yes, you were glad for me to be gone weren't you. I did complete the sculpture by the way. It turned out as perfect as the model."

Makoto let out a small 'Hmph' noise.

"I just couldn't help it, Makoto. It's too easy to get you flustered. And you did help me out that time, weather you like it or not. That little hiatus on Ganymede probably saved me from making one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Now I've just been trying to keep it all in line. And I'm having a grand time at that to. You should really find something to keep you in line."

"I keep everything in line just fine thank you. That's what I do. What are you doing here anyway? I let you stay at my castle for the purpose of your inspiration or whatever. You got to do your sculpture. You're not here for inspiration are you?"

"No, I've got all that I can handle now." she smiled and looked to her right. "And now, as I said, you are going to help me again." As Makoto was turning, yet again, to try and catch a glimpse of whoever it was Michiru was looking at, the other woman was coming towards her. Just as she managed to see a tall figure striding quickly in there direction, she was pulled down to the other woman. When the pair of warm lips touched hers she was, to say the least, very confused. Michiru kissed her softly, not deepening the contact any futher. Makoto didn't know what to do, so she just stood there over her, letting Michiru take control of her own lips. She was frozen and didn't know how to react...no one had ever done this to her before. Makoto was just starting to panic when someone roughly pulled her from the other woman's grasp. She was spun around to face a very angry looking young man, with sandy hair and piercing eyes.

"And what do you think you're doing?" he questioned in a flat and deadly voice.

"I think I'm wishing I was back home and away from you looney people." she answered equally angered.

The man let go of his hold on her and spoke again, "I don't know who you are, but I doubt any of this is your problem at the moment," he glanced at Michiru, who was smiling triumphantly. "I would like you to leave us for a bit. There's something I need to clear up." He pushed a book into Makoto's hands and gave her a nudge toward the archway. Makoto, being too dizzy and confused to argue, went on her way. As she walked she looked down at the book she was holding, _'Why would anyone be reading a book at a ball?' _she wondered, once again entering the crowded room, only to be barraged by perspective dance partners. Sighing, she accepted the inevitable, regretting her disguise. _'I can understand exactly why someone would be reading a book, and I'd have to say...they're a genius.'_

* * *

_Continued..._

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	8. Chapter 7: A Jovian

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**Chapter 7: A Jovian**

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_A while earlier..._

"Minako, quit straining your neck like that to see. Why don't you just stand up?" The raven haired woman said to the blond, who was trying to see something over the crowd.

Minako lifted herself onto her knees so she could get a better view. "Because, Rei, I've done enough dancing for now. I'm tired and if I stand you know very well that half the guests will be over here asking me for dance." She lifted up as high as she could get away with.

"Ha, half the guests? Don't make me laugh. What are you looking at anyway?"

Minako scowled at her in response. "Someone new has just entered ball...two Jovians. One male, one female. Very tall, and extremely handsome, both of them. They're making there way to the Queen's throne. Must be apologizing for their lateness. Wonder what could've made them so later to begin with?" She smiled suggestively. "And one of them looks like she might be the princess. I think I've narrowed it down to about 3 candidates, but she's at the top of the list."

"Thanks for the report," Rei said sarcastically. "Ami, are you gonna read all night again? You did this at the last ball as well. Can't you dance?"

The small blue haired girl to her left jumped slightly at the sound of her name. "I'm not really as into these things as some people are," she looked towards Minako then back at Rei, "Though I did spend a great deal of time at the beginning observing the new guests we have. The Jovian's really do stand out, don't they? I've never seen this many at one time before."

Rei did have to agree with her. Even though they were probably the smallest group there, it was still the most she'd seen of them in years. And not only that, but the princess herself was coming to. If Minako was right, she had shown up late, and Rei's own curiosity was peeked.

"What about you Rei? Why aren't you dancing?" Minako finally sat back on the cushions, giving up her futile efforts.

"Believe it or not, I'm not the best dancer." she grimaced. Minako giggled. And smoothed out her silky golden dress.

"You really aught to wear something more revealing you know. I know you have plenty to show, you little fire vixen." Minako jabbed her in the knee.

Rei shot her an annoyed look. "Cut it out already. I see nothing wrong with what I'm wearing. It's formal enough to wear my uniform." She didn't like dresses, and Minako always made sure to pick at her about it. Rei was wearing a red coat that fell to just above her knees. Below that she had on a black vest and equally red pants that tucked into her black leather boots. It was a feminine uniform. The men's had less design to them, and hung loosely on their frames. The women's uniform fit snugly and had no cape.

Looking between Minako and Ami, there was a great deal of contrast. Ami didn't show off much either, but she did wear dresses often. She now had on a long modest, blue dress. Sitting with her book in hand, flipping a page now and again, she was the picture of cuteness and innocence. Her blue hair fell over her eyes sometimes while she read, and she would absently brush it back. It had grown longer lately, so that it now rested just above her shoulders. Ami was the scholar of them all. To them, she knew everything, so they'd ask her questions sometimes when they needed information about something. She was also the youngest.

Minako on the other hand was loud, outspoken, annoying...Rei could go on forever. She was beautiful, without a doubt. Probably the picture of perfection, and she loved to show off. Just like she was right now. Wearing a low cut dress with a slit up the side as high as she could manage to get it. Rei rolled her eyes. Minako was mischievous to, and spent a lot of time with Usagi, getting into trouble.Rei looked around, trying to find the other blond that had been here with them a while before. _'Probably went to find the food,' _she thought. Usagi was their princess, and a really great friend, but she could be such so clumsy and irresponsible at times. Prince Mamoru would find her though, so they didn't need to worry too much.

Beside her she heard Ami protest suddenly_, "_Hey!"

Then another voice responded, "It's a ball, you're a princess, so go act like one. I can't believe you..."

She knew who that voice belonged to. "Haruka, quit bothering Ami. What does it matter if she reads or not. It's not like it'll faze you any." She turned so she could look up at the tall woman.

"I'm just doing a service for the good of others." she tucked the book under her arm, not intending to return it. "And what are beautiful ladies such as yourselves doing lounging around here. It's a ball, have fun...live a little." she flashed a huge smile at them.

"Have you managed to flirt with every living thing in the room already? Got any invitations yet?" Minako questioned.

"Haruka reached into her pocket and looked up, counting aloud. "Let's see...one, two...seven," she gave them a roguish grin as she continued to count. "Nine...fifteen. Yep, seems about right. Give me a little while longer and I'll have twenty. It's been a good night."

"I don't know how Michiru puts up with you." Rei commented, not really caring. Haruka was known for being a flirt. She got many invitations at balls like this. The invitations were small paper thin coins made of metal. They were light as a feather and were etched with the name of the giver. At formal events such as this one, they were very popular, though it was usually improper to even mention their existence around others. This was because of the nature of invitations. A red one meant you were invited to the others room for the entirety of the evening and into the morning. A blue meant that you were to stay only for a period of time set by the other party. And a yellow, meant that you could come anytime that was convenient for you. The yellow and red were the most sought after for those who indulged in such things. Haruka, however, wouldn't be answering any of these. At least, Rei didn't think she would dare try.

"And how many of each color?" Minako raised an eyebrow in question.

"Now, now, you know I can't take these out here and check," she looked around thoughtfully, than reached into her pocket anyway and casually looked down so she could see what she held. Her smile grew wider. Looks like they're all red and yellow. Yes, I've done very good. Almost brings a tear to the eye." she wiped an imaginary tear from her cheek.

"Oh, you two make me sick." Rei replied, then noticed a red faced Ami was finding the low table in front of her very interesting. _'Ami's gonna pass out if I don't get Haruka away.' _"Where's Michiru?"

Haruka shrugged, "Dunno, she separated from me awhile ago. Haven't seen her since. Well ladies I must be going if I'm to make my quota for the night." She bowed slightly and was on her way. Minako shouted a good luck to her, and Haruka waved a hand over her shoulder.

She knew it. They were playing again. They always got this way during these things. They'd both go off flirting with everything in sight, trying to make the other jealous, then go make up afterward. It was some dumb little game they played. She'd never understand them.

Ami pulled out another book and began to read, as Minako started to ramble about how amazing the Jovian she'd spotted earlier looked. Rei was just about to tell her to shut up when Michiru walked up to their table. "Hello girls, have you seen Haruka around here anywhere," she reached over and pulled the book from Ami's grasp.

"Ah!...hey...that's..you..." she pointed at Michiru, her mouth opening and closing as she protested weakly. Ami threw her arms in the air in defeat and leaned on the table, waiting for Michiru to leave.

Minako laughed, and Rei scowled. "She went that way, not that I care." Michiru looked in the direction that she'd indicated and frowned as well. Haruka was at it again. Dancing and flirting with a beautiful Jovian woman.

"So that's it, is it...two can play at that game." she smiled wickedly.

"Ooooh," Minako cut in, "there he is again. I wouldn't mind slipping a few invitations to him." A tall, handsome man walked by quickly, wearing the royal colors of Jupiter.

"Minako! You don't actually have any of those, do you?" Rei exclaimed. Ami was staring at Minako, bewildered.

"What? I was just saying I'd like to. I didn't say that I had any. Like you care anyway, right?" she stuck her tongue out at Rei. Ignoring her and whatever else she said, Rei watched the Jovian turn to look at them. Just as Ami managed to get out an "uh-oh", Rei saw Michiru rushing quickly around to intercept the poor guy. On her way to him she handed Ami's book off to a young man who looked baffled. Rei watched the Jovian Michiru was heading for, as he observed them in turn.

"Looks like you might not get the chance tonight," she told Minako, smiling. "Look over there."

Minako turned around to see what Rei was talking about, she gave him a smile and a wink, then turned back. "Yes, I'm looking. And what I see is a very handsome man that I might just dance with."

"Not anymore," she shook her head, and pointed. "Now look."

Minako looked again, but this time it was to see her Jovian being hauled away by none other than Michiru. "Ah crap! That's not fair, I saw him first and she just goes behind my back like that and grabs him. There's plenty of others, dammit!"

"I could say the same for you, ya know." Rei laughed.

"Oh, but you don't care remember."

"Nope, not at all. Got any more books Ami?"

Ami shook her head and drew circles on the table with her finger. "I'm getting tired. I hope this ends soon," she sighed.

"Same here."

"You two are so boring. I'm gonna go get something to eat." With that, Minako left them sitting there to simmer in their own boredom.

Rei was still watching Michiru dance. The man she was with was a good dancer and Michiru was showing no signs of giving him up to anyone else. They danced for a while, with Michiru sneaking glances at Haruka, who was changing dance partners frequently.

When the two finally stopped, Michiru hauled him off in the opposite direction, taking him out onto the balcony. Haruka seemed to take notice of this and left her dance partner, to follow the other two. _'Oh great. Now for the grand finale.'_

"Would you look at those two. What is she trying to prove? Haruka won't leave her for the universe." She shook her head.

Ami noticed the two leaving as well. "Love is really just a game to some people I guess. You know, love has no real definition. I've looked it up in hundreds of books before, no one can seem to agree. It is different for all of us, so how can one person define it? But then again, if I were to define it scientifically, I would have to say that it was a chemical reaction...an inborn human instinct to seek out another being and–"

"Alight! Okay Ami, I get it. You're going into one of your tangents again. I'm bored enough already." Rei had her hand up to halt further discussion. "And don't go talking like that while Minako's around. You know how she gets when you start comparing love to chemicals and equations. I swear she was gonna blow up that time you started telling her exactly what her power was made of and how that love dust was a halluc–halloo–hall–"

"Hallucinogen." Ami supplied.

"Whatever the damn thing is, she got pissed, as we both remember."

"Well, that was just the conclusion I came to through my research. It's a drug that causes the mind to see what it wants to see. Therefore one would of course call it love."

"Well, Minako says it causes the mind to see the truth. But what can I say, I've never tried the stuff before and I don't plan to. I have other ways of seeing the truth about things."

"It looks like Minako's Jovian is back, and looking a little disheveled." Ami smiled and gestured with her hand.

Rei couldn't believe how many people flocked to the man. "I feel kinda sorry for him. He's gonna have to dance the rest of the night away. Hope his stamina's good. He's probably still recovering from whatever Haruka did to him."

They watched as he danced again. Partner after partner Between this time, Minako returned with some food, and a very hyper Usagi with a tired looking Endymion. Usagi stuck around long enough to tell them that no one could be more handsome than her beloved Endymion and that the food was great. Minako offered them some of her own food, but they declined. Rei and Ami were more tired than hungry anyway. She lost track of where the Jovian was after a while and started idle chat with the other two girls. In the middle of a conversation they were having about the events of the coming month, Ami exclaimed suddenly, "You there! Young man, um excuse me!"

Minako and Rei turned to see who's attention Ami, of all people, was trying to get. "Oh," Minako said flatly, "the book."

The guy was startled for a second, then came closer to them as Ami waved him over. "Yes, Milady, how might I serve you?" he asked. He was a Jovian.

Rei's eyes widened as she realized he was nothing more than a boy. _'Even the boys are tall.' _she thought. He was carrying a small plate of food and Ami's book, and he looked to be a little worried.

Ami spoke again. "Um, that book you have there, it happens to be mine. I'm sorry if it was a burden to you."

The boy looked down at the book he was holding and then back up. "Oh, it wasn't any trouble at all. I thought it might be some strange custom here on the moon, so I held onto it." He handed it to her. Then straightened, blushing a bit, and looked around.

"Are you looking for something," Rei asked.

"Well, I'm looking for somewhere to sit, but everything seems to be occupied." he shrugged his shoulders. "My...er...Master sent me to find a place."

"Master?" Ami asked.

"I'm not supposed to say who they are, since it's a masquerade and all. And that's the best title I could come up with." he smiled.

"Well then go get your 'Master' and come back here. We've got plenty of room." Minako shooed him away.

"Ah, thank you so much. We're very tired. My master more than most I'd expect." he hurried off.

"A boy? At a ball?" Minako said when he was gone. "That's a little strange isn't it?"

"It would seem strange. But Jovians have different customs." Ami replied.

Minako just shrugged as they waited for the boy to return. He came back several moments later, and Rei almost laughed at the irony. "Minako, make some room for our guests," she said, and laughed at the look of surprise on Minako's face when she saw who was coming. It was the handsome Jovian trailing behind the boy.

"Absolutely," she said, and stood as the two reached the table. They were in the middle of arguing about something.

"You shouldn't have been so harsh in rejecting them," the boy said.

"Well, if they weren't being so tenacious about it, I wouldn't have to. And I wasn't harsh, I was firm." His voice was soft for a man and slightly husky. Not at all unpleasant. "You'd think that they could give me a break. I just danced with seventeen people for Jove's sake! I do have a limit you know. After the trip and all..." his voice trailed off.

"You better sit down then before they catch you. It's your own fault you know. For being such a great dancer." Minako said.

The man stopped arguing with the boy and looked over at Minako. "My apologies," he bowed,"I thank you for allowing us to join you."

"No problem," Minako replied, "the pleasure's all mine."

Rei snorted. Minako scowled at her as she moved to let him sit between she and Ami. The boy came around to sit on the other side of Rei and began to eat. The man sat silently, sipping a goblet of wine and watching the boy. Rei was sensing something strange from this man. It was out of place and she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Was there anything wrong with him? Now that she studied him up close, he looked younger than she had originally thought. His movements were fluid, almost graceful. She was sure that he was a warrior, for most Jovians were. His skin was darker than any of the others sitting at the table. Probably from training out of doors for so long. The mask he wore covered most of his face, so her gaze rested on his lips. His lips were, well...feminine, she decided. He wasn't smiling or frowning and had done neither since he joined them. A nagging at the back of her mind told her that he was not what he seemed. Rei's senses were picking up several things from him that were not supposed to be there. He was turning out to be an enigma, and she was going to figure just who or what he was. And why did he keep looking at Ami?

The Jovian was, indeed, glancing sideways at Ami while listening to Minako go on about the different dances she knew and how hard it was to find a good dance partner. He evidently wasn't going to take the bate, being more interested in the silent girl to his right. Ami looked to be reading her book, but Rei noticed that her eyes weren't moving much.

Rei knew that Ami wasn't the most sociable person in the universe, but she could at least talk to him. She was sitting right there beside a handsome warrior that over half the room wanted, and she wouldn't even look at him. Rei was getting annoyed with her small blue haired friend. She was beginning to wonder if Ami was more of an enigma than the Jovian. She never showed any interest in anyone, male or female. Her books and research were her life. Even if she wasn't aware of it, she had many admirers. There were those who pursued her incessantly, but she turned them all down in the end. Ami didn't believe in love, much to Minako's annoyance. She looked at everything from a scientific perspective. Minako always liked to say that Ami was as cold as her icy element. Rei could care less either way. She didn't question how they chose to live there lives. As long as they were safe and content, she had no worries. Why should she care anyway? Still, she could at least talk to him...

"Oh, didn you half a ook oo?" the boy beside Rei asked the man.

"Don't try to speak with your mouth full," the man corrected him. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small brown, leather-bound book. Rei recognized it immediately as the one Haruka snatched from Ami earlier in the evening. He placed it on the table, sliding it toward Ami.

"Would this, by any chance, be yours?" he asked.

Minako, seeing this exchange, spoke up, "Hmm, I might just have to start bringing books to these things as well," she smiled up at the Jovian, "if this is what it'll get me." He didn't respond, seemingly confused by her statement.

Meanwhile, Ami set the book she was reading aside and picked up the one on the table. "Yes it is, and I thank you for returning it to me. Dare I ask how it was acquired? Though I already think I can guess."

"A temperamental Uranian saw fit to bestow it upon me as a parting gift. Though his anger with me is still puzzling. Are people usually so violent here on the moon?"

Rei had to laugh. "No, we aren't all violent. Only some become so when their jealousy is roused. You happened to run into one of the more hot headed of us. Don't worry though, I'm sure you didn't do anything to start any conflict. They do this all the time, those two. You were just an unfortunate victim."

"Those _two_?" he asked.

"Weren't you with someone else tonight? We saw you earlier..." Rei answered.

He remembered, "Do you mean Michiru?"

Rei raised an eyebrow, surprised, "She told you here name?"

"She really shouldn't have done that. This is a masquerade, she wasn't supposed to tell you," Minako added.

"I wasn't aware that there were rules? Well, regardless, she didn't tell me her name tonight. I already knew it. She's a wayward artist, who came to stay on Ganymede about a year ago. She stayed for a while. Said she needed the inspiration or something." He said nonchalantly, sipping his wine.

Rei's mouth hung slightly open. Minako was grinning and looking frantically around the room for someone, Michiru, Rei assumed. And Ami was shaking her head and opening her book again. _Michiru stayed on Ganymede? _Rei thought, _When did this happen and why?_

"She told you it was for...inspiration? How well do you know Michiru exactly? Is she a friend of the Princess of Jupiter?" Rei had so many questions.

"There was no harm in letting her stay, as far as I could tell. She was aloud to occupy a place in the castle as long as she was out of the way. As far as the inspiration goes...I would rather not entertain that topic," he paused, "I do not know any details beyond what she gave me of herself."

'_So he doesn't know that she is the princess of Neptune? And for that matter...he probably has no idea that he is sharing a table with three other princesses_,' Rei concluded. She hadn't really given her own identity any thought. But now that she did, it made sense. Most of the Jovians didn't know anyone here beyond each other. They wouldn't recognize any of the princesses.

"Was there anyone else with her during her visit?."

"No one. She showed up one day, out of no where, and made the request."

The boy, having finished what he was eating, looked at Rei and spoke, "Yeah, and the princess didn't have to be so cold towards her either. She tried to avoid her for the duration of her stay," the boy stopped and looked at Ami, "That is until the woman insisted that the princess be her model for a sculpture she wanted to do. Then–"

"Shingo!" the man snapped, "that is none of your concern, nor is it theirs."

"Hey! Didn't you hear what she said? You weren't supposed to say my name yet," he complained.

"Don't' be so upset about it Shingo. It's just a silly ball," Ami said, smiling at him. "And you shouldn't be so hard on him," she addressed the man. "Michiru is well known for her spontaneous behavior when it comes to her art. If the princess proved to impress her so, then it is no surprise that she wished to acquire her as a model. It is nothing to be embarrassed about," she gave the man a quizzical look, "You seem to be very defensive about your princess's image. I guess that's understandable, but..."

The man was searching for something to say when Minako broke in, "What image? We hardly know anything about her to begin with. What am I to imagine?"

He could have been glaring at Minako under his mask, but she couldn't really tell. "I wasn't being defensive, it's just that...can we drop this subject?" The man had his hands, palm down, on the table in front of him. Rei thought it was funny that he was being so panicky. It made her more suspicious of him.

"Sure," Rei said, reluctantly.

The man sighed and leaned back, putting his hands in his pockets. As he did so, he paused as if something bothered him.

"Is something wrong?" Ami asked.

He removed his right hand from his pocket and extended it in front of him. Unclenching his fingers, he revealed a handful of red, yellow, and blue coins. "Where did theses come from?"

Ami turned a deep crimson and Minako giggled as she took hold of his wrist, lowering it so that only the table's occupants could see what it was that he held. "You might want to keep those out of site. It's only proper."

"You know what they are? They weren't in my pocket before I came here..." he asked, withdrawing his left hand from his other pocket, only to reveal more coins.

Ami reached out, and taking hold of both his wrists, pushed them down into his lap.

He looked at his pinned arms and then between the two women. "Care to explain?" he asked.

* * *

_Continued..._

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	9. Chapter 8: A Misunderstanding

Ack! Yep, them nasty little typos found there way into those last two chapters. Sometimes my fingers type something totally different from what my brain is thinking...maybe I'm channeling a vicious grammer demon or something. Thanks for pointing that out Elara, and no no no, you didn't offend me. It takes a lot to do that. I can accept constructive criticism. (I'm gonna try to go back and fix em soon, sorry for any you might find in this chapter)

I was scared to death that no one would find the humor in here. So thanks for so enthusiastically pointing that out Tigon Ookami

Thank you as well Jonathan Priest, Jordan Chaos, and Hobbes the Cat.

* * *

**Chapter 8: A Misunderstanding**

Ami wasn't sure that she could take many more surprises from this strange Jovian. How could he be ignorant of so many things? Her hands rested on his wrists, which she had pinned to his lap. She briefly noted the softness of his skin as she looked around to see if any bystanders had noticed the coins. Not seeing any scandalized faces, she turned to look up at him. His puzzled gaze on her made it hard to find the words she was searching for.

"Well, the coins you see, they are for...uh..." Why should this be such a hard thing to explain? How could no one have warned him ahead of time about it? Then she wouldn't be sitting here in such an awkward situation. Of course she knew the answer already. _'His customs are different from ours.' _She glanced over his shoulder to find Minako staring straight at her and grinning from ear to ear. Ami knew that the blond was enjoying the entire display. "When you.." she stumbled over her words.

"They are best left unexplained and out of sight if you are a person with any self respect or decency," Rei interrupted flatly. Ami sighed in relief, _'thank the stars.'_

"There you go, ruining all the fun again," Minako said, taking hold of the man's arm and pulling him closer, so that she could speak silently to him. Ami realized that she was still holding his wrists and quickly let go. They all turned to look at Minako.

"If these two aren't brave enough to tell you, then I am," she smiled as she went on, "seeing as how most of yours are yellow or red, I'd say you could spend the entire evening with the lucky owner of whichever coin you choose. So in essence, they are invitations. You'll get to have some intimate time with whoever you'd like."

'_Why does she have to do that?' _Ami thought,_ 'She makes it sound like a common activity. Like we're all a bunch of perverts or something.' _She blushed at her own thoughts. _'But at the same time, there is the fact that she manages to say it at all.' _Minako was always like this. It was one of her qualities. She always took everything as it came, without question, and was ashamed of nothing. She was a proud woman who would rise to any challenge, no matter if it was impossible for her. She was fearless in a dangerous way, and most of that danger could be directed toward herself at times. Ami was one of the most intelligent women in the universe, yet she couldn't form a simple explanation for a warrior who was from one of the most un-advanced cultures among the nine planets. She let her eyes drift to his masked face. _'So what if he might be handsome under that mask. She doesn't know that for sure.' _Ami thought, scrutinizing him thoroughly. _'He could be hideous, a complete monster...' _she looked at the wide expanse of his shoulders. His hair hung, tied loosely, down his back. It was a wave of auburn, and she'd never seen anything like it on a person before. The other Jovians had dark brown hair that was almost black, or even deep red, but his was different. It kind of reminded her of...chocolate? Yes, that was it. The delicacy that they received from earth now and then. When warmed, it melted and became a viscous substance that held a rich brown color. She'd come to like dipping fruits in it, and it was simply wonderful accompanied by a book. Ami became aware that she was straying off the topic she had been arguing with herself about.

'_Why is she trying so hard? He'll just be gone tomorrow anyway?' _He was probably just another dull, feeble minded warrior, who wouldn't be able to tell his head from a rock on the ground. Ami didn't like the way this Jovian was affecting her. She was a rational person, and very un-rational thoughts would go through her head whenever the man glanced in her direction or used his warm voice to address her. She would ignore it though. _'He'll be gone tomorrow anyway,' _she repeated in her mind to herself. It was this thought that reassured her that he had not thrown her being even a little off kilter. She'd be fine tomorrow, when she didn't have to avoid his eyes.

The Jovian spoke, breaking Ami's silent self analysis. "And why would I want to do that?" he asked, agitated.

Minako's smile faltered momentarily. "Well, I'm not saying that you, personally, would want to. I didn't mean to offend you or anything. You asked."

The Jovian shook his head then rephrased his question. "No, I mean, why would anyone want to spend a whole evening with someone, when they should be sleeping. I'd imagine everyone would be tired after such a long ball. I know I am. Besides that, why couldn't a person do what any other would do, and request an audience through formal means. Not sticking their hands into my pockets as thieves would do," he frowned at the thought.

Minako's eyes widened, "You have _formal_ invitations for these kinds of things around Jupiter?"

"Quit being so nosey," Rei said, trying to halt her questioning.

She was ignored, though, as Minako continued, "Even on Venus we don't acknowledge the existence of the coins. Yet you have formal invitations. Are Jovian customs really so...loose?"

"I don't see why you want to hide them? Are the princesses of your planets so unsociable? Well, anyway, it is common courtesy to let the one you wish to hold an audience with know ahead of time. You do not expect to be seen right away. For example, anyone who wants to hold an audience with the princess would seek one through the royal guard."

Minako managed to look delighted and shocked at the same time. "You mean the princess of Jupiter? She does these sorts of things?"

The blush that Ami had built up during the first part of the Jovian's explanation was starting to fade. She now realized that there was a misunderstanding, mostly caused by an overenthusiastic goddess of love and a seemingly simple-minded warrior. A quick glance at Rei told her that the other woman was thinking along the same lines. Her arms were crossed and she was glaring at Minako. Shingo, on her right, was hunched over trying to contain his laughter. His small frame shook with the effort. The boy must have understood Minako's explanation, and something about it he found highly amusing.

Looking back at the other two, Ami let out a sigh and asked, "What, exactly, does the princess of Jupiter do at these meetings?" Minako's mouth hung open in disbelief as she stared at Ami.

"Depends on who is requesting the audience. Most of the time it'll be messengers from other satellites reporting their status. Sometimes it can be about petty quarrels, or just a request for transportation. Doesn't matter how large or small, the princess will see to all of them in time."

Ami smiled at Minako's confused look and said, "I think that you have misunderstood the meaning of the coins, but that doesn't matter. It's obviously not something that you need to worry about." Beside her, Shingo couldn't help it. He burst into laughter at her words.

"Well, I guess we now know why the planet with the most moons has the lowest population..." Rei mumbled to Ami, who was trying to hide a grin.

"You really have no idea what I meant, do you?" Minako asked, disbelieving.

"Well you said they were invitations. Requests for the time of another person. How else am I supposed to take it?" He looked thoroughly annoyed now.

Minako was just about to say more, but Rei stopped her, "Just drop it Minako!"

Shingo suddenly stopped laughing and looked directly at Minako with an expression of surprise, or horror. Ami couldn't tell which. "That name! You couldn't be...are you?" he pointed toward her.

"There you go _yet_ again, spoiling all the fun," the blond said to Rei, who merely shrugged her shoulders and began to pat Shingo on the back.

Shingo stood so that her could properly bow to the Princess of Venus. "I apologize your Highness, to be sitting here so casually with you. If I had known, I would have paid you the proper respect that is due to you," he continued rambling in embarrassment.

"Ah, come on, sit down already. I get enough of that back home. I don't need it from you," Minako said, waving her hand at him.

Shingo sat down almost immediately and shut his mouth. The man now had his full attention on Minako, as he put the coins back into his pockets. He was studying her anew now, Ami could tell.

Minako smiled under his scrutiny.

"You two don't have to be so surprised," Rei said, bored, "She's nothing to get so excited about."

Ami could have sworn that Minako looked hurt by Rei's words for an instant, but it passed over her face so quickly that she couldn't tell. It would be strange if she was, for Rei's comments never fazed Minako any other time.

"Ha! Excuse me for not being magnanimous enough for you, _Rei_," she stressed the other girl's name venomously.

Rei looked puzzled at Minako's retort. The Jovian fixed his attention on the brunette as Shingo let out a small 'yipe!' and bowed to Rei.

"Don't start," Rei said, looking sideways at Shingo.

"So, I've been sitting here with two princesses this whole time. Who just happen to invite me to their table...or is it three?" The Jovian turned to look directly at Ami. His voice was sarcastic and a little accusing. "The Princess of Mercury, I presume?"

Ami simply nodded and looked away. Not knowing why, she didn't want to meet his gaze. Such a silly thought she'd had. That someone's eyes might hold power over a person. But no matter, she still wouldn't risk it.

He filled his goblet with wine. "This is a surprise. I didn't think I'd be found out so easily. I've been yanked around enough tonight and I'm growing extremely tired of it," he said, angry. "I really don't feel like dealing with you three right now, so if you will excuse me..." he rose from his seat, unsteadily.

"I don't understand," Ami said, looking up at him, "What's wrong?" She couldn't figure out why their presence would offend him like this. They'd never even met him before tonight.

"Yeah, who's yanking you around?" Minako asked, annoyed.

Rei stood up, facing him, "What do you mean, dealing?" Her voice was even and threatening.

"Come on Shingo, I'm not feeling so great. Let's get out of here." Shingo hesitated, looking between all three princesses. "Now!" the Jovian barked, stepping around Minako.

"Hey!" Rei's voice was sharp.

He stopped and looked at her. "I'm leaving early. If she has a problem with it," he motioned toward the dias, "then so be it. She can punish me later when I'm feeling better."

"What's with this sudden change in mood? You discover we're royalty and that makes you not want to be near us? And that is our Queen you're talking about. We don't so casually refer to her as 'She'," You owe her your allegiance and respect." Rei finished, pointing from him to the dias. Minako nodded in agreement. Ami watched the Jovian go rigid and whirl to face Rei.

"I owe her nothing!" he growled furiously. Rei took one step back, shaken by his anger. The boy, Shingo, came forward at that point and pulled lightly on the man's jacket, getting his attention. The Jovian looked down at him and relaxed somewhat, then shook his head as if to clear it.

"Who are you?" Rei asked in a low voice. Ami concluded by the look on her face, that Rei must be picking up strange vibrations from him.

"You know who I am. Why won't you people just leave me alone? I was ordered from my home to come here, when I should be there training the new soldiers and protecting the people."

"That still doesn't answer my question. Are you a general? A captain maybe?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a musical voice, "Causing trouble already I see."

Ami turned her head to see Michiru walk past them all to stop by the Jovian. Haruka trailed closely behind.

"What do you want _now_?" the man said, taking a step back from her, and glancing cautiously at Haruka, who grinned.

Unfazed, Michiru smiled at him, "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad, was it?" He lowered his head, not looking at her. She bent so that she could look up into his face. "Was it really such a horrible kiss?" Her smile widened at the shocked gasps that receded her statement.

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't know," he said, not meeting her eyes. "I've got nothing to compare it with. Nor do I have time to play your little games." His eyes flashed as he looked around at all of them. He then spun on his heal and stalked off into the crowd with Shingo following close behind.

"Michiru, you kissed him?" Rei asked, unbelieving.

"And he's still alive?" Minako said, looking to Haruka.

Haruka coughed and looked at Michiru. "I think someone has a little explaining to do."

Michiru smirked and put her hands behind her back. "Let's just say that a certain Uranian has been reprimanded for her actions tonight. What is that saying?" she looked up as if contemplating. "ah yes, do onto others, and so on?" She looked pointedly at Haruka.

Haruka put her hands in the air before her as a sign of surrender. "I already apologized for that. Sheesh, you'd think I'd slept with one of them, with the way your acting about it."

"Don't worry, I trust you. I just like to remind you of where we stand. And I know you'll remember who you're leaving with tonight." She stepped closer to the taller woman. Haruka began to blush. Michiru was probably the only woman in the Universe who could get this reaction from her.

Haruka swallowed audibly, "Well, I don't' think you should go stealing a person's first kiss just to get my attention. There are lots of other ways to get at me. And many of them involve kissing." She began leaning towards Michiru.

"Really? Why didn't I think of any of them?" she asked, coming closer.

"AHEM!" Rei coughed, startling the couple. "This is a ball, it's public. And I'm not so bored as to become a voyeur at the moment, so if you wouldn't mind moving it somewhere else..."

Michiru simply smiled at Rei and moved around Haruka to disappear into the crowd of dancers. Haruka stuck her tongue out at Rei, and winked at Minako, who Ami could have swore she heard repeating the phrase _"always spoiling the fun, always"_. Then she left to follow Michiru.

"So..." Minako said. "Do you really think he's never kissed anybody? I think he was lying so that Haruka wouldn't pound him."

Ami didn't know what to think, honestly. She'd never thought there could be a grown man, and a warrior at that, who had never been kissed. It was kind of amusing when one thought of it. It was really cute. Um, well, it was a cute concept that could be applied to any warrior that may have never been kissed. Not that she'd thought of kissing him. Ami, herself was no stranger to it. She had been kissed a few times. To not know had been killing her, and she coveted knowledge, so she'd tried it. It turned out that she didn't see what was so great about it. Ami was disappointed. She'd been expecting something spectacular and amazing, but it had turned out awkward and uncomfortable. She really didn't see why Minako liked it so much. She hypothesized that you had to find someone who was good at it, then it might be different. It was an experiment she would leave for another day. She had much more important matters to look into.

"I could care less," Rei sighed and looked around. "I'm still wondering why he got so mad at us. How are we supposed to know who he is. We just met him. When we unmask I'm going to have a talk with the princess of Jupiter about that one."

"Shouldn't we be unmasking soon anyway?" Ami asked, tiredly.

"Yeah," Minako answered. "The time is really late. Usually we'd be out of here by now, but since it's Usagi's birthday, I think we've run a bit over."

"She could also be compensating for the Jovians being so late," Rei added.

Minako and Ami nodded in agreement.

Rei leaned forward on the table, putting her chin in her hands.

"He's still bothering you, isn't he?" Minako said.

"There was something about him." Rei answered.

"What do you mean?" Ami asked.

"He was giving off some vibrations that he shouldn't be. Powerful ones. I don't know what they are, but they're really familiar to me for some reason."

"They weren't, you know, like Negaverse feeling were they?" Minako asked worriedly.

"No, Minako, I think I'd recognize those if I encountered them. I'll ask the princess about him, when I get the chance."

At that moment someone screamed. Collectively their heads turned to find the source of the noise. "Minako, you know those Negaverse like feelings you were just talking about?"

"Yeah." Minako answered.

"Well, I'm feeling them now..." Minako looked at Rei, her eyes filled with concern.

People were panicking, and running for the nearest exits of the hall. There were too many people getting in the way to discern what was happening. Annoyed, Rei jumped up and began pushing her way through the tumult. Ami looked to Minako, who shrugged and followed Rei. Soon, Ami was right behind them.

* * *

_Continued..._

* * *


	10. Chapter 9: Uninvited

**Thank you so much for the reviews. It does mean a lot to get them. Adds a little something to my day, ya know.**

Now for my excuses? Okay, here it goes. I got a load of crap dumped on me. Smelly little projects just jumped out and landed right on my back, and they've been there for the past few weeks. Damn things like Flash videos, Newsletters, and CD inserts.But hey, my last day of class was today :melts: and I'm not taking summer classes. Freeeeedooooom...(:mumbles:though I DO have some exams to take...and who holds an exam on **Friday the 13th**?)

**Chapter 9: Uninvited**

She really wasn't lying when she'd said that she was feeling bad. Makoto wound her way through the crowd. Pushing people out of the way if need be. She wasn't in a pleasant mood after her encounter with the other princesses. How could that woman do this? It was tricky and sly. She wondered if they were already telling the queen that she was leaving. Not that it mattered. She didn't care one way or the other right now. The pain in her arm had grown, and it was getting harder to walk. She was getting dizzy and nauseous. Sweat had formed on her face, and she knew it saturated the light shirt she was wearing beneath her jacket. '_Damn jacket_.' She shrugged the thing off and shoved it into Shingo's hands. The boy had a worried expression on his small features. Makoto's muscles were stiff and cramping. _'What the fuck is wrong with me?'_ she thought. _'That Chimera just might get it's revenge on me after all.'_

She stopped, leaning up against a column that was a few paces from the doorway she had entered a while earlier. Through the ringing in her head, she could have sworn she heard someone scream. Was it her imagination? All around her, the noise in the room grew. People ran by her, some bumping her as they went. "Dammit!" she yelled, grabbing the next unlucky person who knocked into her. She held him close to her by his collar. "What the hell is going on?" she snapped, jerking him to attention.

"It's a monster! A Negaverse monster is here! I don't want to die!" he screamed in panic, pointing in the direction from which he'd come.

The people were now clogging the exits, trying to get out. She pushed him roughly in their direction. "Coward," she said to his retreating back.

Making her way back through the crowd was bad. It was an experience she wouldn't wish to repeat in a thousand years. The pain in her arm and her head was now screaming. Still, she pushed forward. Grabbing people and pushing them from her path. Somewhere along the way, they seemed to get the picture and started to make way for her. Makoto reached a point in the crowd where she could break into a run. Finally, after what seemed forever, she arrived at the dias.

She caught sight of the monster. _'Why do they always have wings?' _she asked herself. It was a Harpy. The female creature hovered menacingly over the floor. The guards had it surrounded, but were hesitant to approach it. Catching site of the mutilated body of one of their companions on the floor, she could see why. The Harpy's hands and mouth were stained with blood and it laughed in an eerie, chilling way.

Makoto noticed that the Queen was nowhere to be found. _'At least they were smart enough to get her out of here...What the hell is she doing here?_' Seeing the Princess of Mars come to a halt a stone's throw away was a surprise. She would have thought that they'd have gotten her away from here as well. When she was soon joined by the other two princesses, Makoto was again stunned. The Mercurian had a small object in her hands, that her fingers were flying over hastily. The Venusian smiled and pushed the Martian forward. "Well I guess this is a great time to see if that practice has come in handy, Miss _sure shot_."

The Martian glared at her. "Ami, what are its readings?"

"Well, you're going to have to shoot it down. I doubt melee attacks will have much effect, unless you're lucky enough to get a hit in before it decapitates you like that unlucky fellow there," she gestured to the ground. "Otherwise, any element will do." She snapped the contraption shut in finality.

"Oh, alright then..." she said. "Oh shit! Haruka, don't."

Makoto turned to see the one she called Haruka run straight at the Harpy, brandishing a scimitar. He leapt at the beast's back, slicing easily through the soft tissue. The Harpy let out an enraged screak and turned on the tall man. He was fast, however, and dodged the coming blow, laughing.

"Damn you Haruka, this isn't a game!" Michiru yelled from her place opposite the other girls.

'_Why am I still standing here?' _Makoto grinned and pulled her sword from its scabbard. "Oh come on Michiru. This ball was so boring, now it's starting to show promise." Michiru finally noticed Makoto was standing there. "Lookit these Moon-sissies run," she pointed her sword in the direction of the retreating crowd.

"Oh great, not you too." Michiru growled. "You're staying right there."

"Hey, I resent that. I'm not a moon-sissie!" a voice called from somewhere behind the other girls. Makoto didn't have time to look for its source.

"Really now? You gonna make me?" her face took on a dark look as she lunged toward the fray. Makoto forgot her pain and concentrated on the hovering beast. The Harpy never saw it coming. With one great swing of her sword, she sliced through the beast's leg. The limb fell to lay with its earlier victim and the screaming Harpy launched itself higher into the air, out of their reach.

"Not bad," Haruka said, "You're pretty strong to be swinging a sword with such force like that. I guess what they say of Jovians is true." He laughed, "You'd think the dumb-ass would of thought to take to the air sooner. Damn, now we can't reach her." He frowned in disappointment.

"Who says we can't?" Makoto smiled. "I'll fry her ass." She raised her hand, about to summon her element when something slammed into the back of her and arms pinned her own to her sides. Her mask, jarred from the impact, flew from her face to land on the ground before her. "Hey! What the hell are you doing!" She looked over her shoulder, to see Boarder looking frantic. "Let me go, now!" she ordered.

"I won't. Milady, you can't use your element. You'll surely kill yourself. Don't you feel the fatigue anymore? You're wounded, remember?" Boarder's eyes pleaded with her.

"Yes, Makoto, don't use your power. Let everyone order you around, as usual."

Everyone's head snapped around at the voice. Queen Beryl smiled wickedly at them all. It was like she'd just appeared on the dias. They were stunned.

"Now there's a target that can't fly off." Haruka stated.

"Don't bother," Makoto said, "she's not really here."

Haruka looked at her, confused.

"You're right," Rei said, looking at Makoto. "I don't sense her there." she gave Makoto a questioning gaze before turning back to the queen.

The Harpy still circled above them. "Don't you find my party favor amusing? I know one of you was having fun..." she smiled at Makoto and Haruka.

"What are you doing here?" Rei asked. "Why are you tormenting us?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Just reminding you of your inferiority. Have to keep you on your toes you know." She looked around, her gaze searching. "I see you have rushed your coward of a queen off to some safe haven. Well, soon no place will be safe for the likes of her. Let her know this, as well as her daughter."

"Leave this place, you witch," a young man in armor shouted at the woman. "You will never touch Usagi. I'll kill you first."

"Manners seem to be in short supply here. Then I guess I'll be going now. I'm sure you'll find some use for my little present." The Harpy cried out overhead, making some of them look up. "And as always, I leave the invitation to my own palace open to you all...In fact, _all_ invitations are still open." she looked directly into Makoto's eyes. Makoto's head began to hurt again. _'Damn her.'_

"Farewell for now then." Beryl laughed and disappeared from the dias.

They all stared at the spot in which she had just stood moments before.

"What the hell was that all about? She's never done that before." Minako said.

"A message? But it's obvious she hates us. Why remind us of that fact?" Ami said.

"I think there's more to it than that," was Rei's cryptic reply.

Their party favor reminded them of its presence by doing a series of dives over their heads. "We should take care of her first." Haruka pointed with his sword.

Makoto looked up and frowned. "Fine!" She wrenched Boarder's arms from around her and stood, charging her energy.

"No!" she heard two shouts from behind her.

'_This has gone on long enough, I just wanna go to bed.' _that was the last thing she thought, as the pain hit her full force. "Gaaaah!" she yelled clutching her head with both hands. She felt someone grab her shoulders as she went down on her knees. The pain was unbearable and she could feel her energy leaving her. What energy? She had none left. Why had she thought she could draw on reserves that weren't there to begin with? Falling backwards, into arms she couldn't see, Makoto heard a voice yelling her name. The last thing she saw was the Martian letting a flaming arrow fly straight at the screaming Harpy.

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Everything fell into place for Rei the second the mask hit the marbled floor of the hall. All the strange vibrations weren't foreign to her anymore. If she'd known what to look for, she would have spotted it right away. Thunder. That was one of them. Femininity. That was the other misplaced vibration. She'd been looking at a mortal human man with her senses. Not an immortal, female princess of Jupiter. The element of thunder was so uncommon to her. For Makoto was the last Jovian with royal blood. They were such a proud and fearless race who usually died in battles and by unnatural means. Hardly any Jovian royalty lived longer than seven mortal life-spans. Some didn't even make it past three. When Beryl appeared before them, she was shocked to find that Makoto knew the woman wasn't there. She was some sort of hologram. Ami had explained this concept to her a while back. Something about projecting an image of one's self or an object. She said that, with the proper technology, it could be done from great distances. That ruled out seeking the woman's hiding place; she'd be long gone before they got there.

Upon finding out that she was wounded and drained, Rei knew she had to do something, fast. Makoto looked like she would be stubborn enough to try anything at that moment. Her eyes burned with something akin to insanity. The adrenaline going through her veins might have been acting as a pain killer. The two behind Makoto weren't having any luck stopping the woman from what she was about to do. Rei lifted her bow, and even as she heard the Jovian cry out in pain, she loosed the arrow, sending it flying towards the Harpy. It struck her, burying itself in the creatures chest. Screaming in pain, it fell to the ground below, hitting the floor with a loud crunch. Haruka moved in front of Michiru to shield her from the light spray of blood that followed its impact. It then lay in an expanding pool of the thick red liquid. Walking over to it silently, Haruka beheaded the Harpy with her scimitar, then turned to some of the guards who still stood by helplessly. "Get some others in here to help you clean this mess up," she said in a commanding tone. Then looking over to where Makoto lay in the Jovian woman's arms, with Ami scanning her vitals, she said, "And get a healer in here as fast as you can." Some of them made to go, and others continued to stare at the carnage before them. " Move, now!" Gathering their bearings, the guards rushed to fulfill her commands.

Rei sighed and looked over to Minako, who was smiling somewhat forcefully. "Nice shot," she said simply.

"Thanks," Rei grunted, then added in a barely audible tone, "I was aiming for its head..."

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Everything fell apart for Ami the moment the mask hit the floor of the hall. She stared at a face that was the complete opposite of what she had envisioned. She'd imagined that a handsome male visage lay beneath that ornate black mask. Instead she found a feminine face of wild beauty. Sweat soaked bangs fell over dark green eyes, that burned with rage. Her face contorted in pain and anger as she struggled against the arms that bound her from behind. She shouted at the woman to free her. The woman's words shot panic through Ami's mind. And at once she realized that this was the Guardian of Thunder. If she used her power in such a state, then she might cause herself great pain. She could only hope that the woman was strong enough to bind the princess of Jupiter for a little longer.

When Beryl appeared, Ami's attention was torn between the evil queen and the injured Jovian. She and Rei confirmed that the woman was a hologram, how the Jovian princess knew, Ami could not tell. When the woman disappeared, instinct took over as the Guardian of Thunder broke loose of the woman holding her. Ami retrieved her computer and ran towards the woman, even as the other began charging her powers. Her heart beat against her chest so fiercely that she was afraid it might burst. "Don't!" She yelled, but her shout was drowned by the screams of the Harpy above. Then another scream joined it as the Jovian went down on both knees, clutching her head in pain. _'No.' _Ami was almost there; everything seemed to slow down.

"Lady Makoto!" Shingo yelled, as the woman behind her caught the princess and laid her gently on the cold floor. Out of her peripheral vision she could see an arrow being loosed. Rei was attacking the creature now.

Finally, Ami came to a stop, dropping to her knees next to the Princess of Jupiter. She gave the woman a glance and flipped her computer open, a green line and several other small panels began moving in unison. Her fingers flew hastily over the small buttons.

"Wow!" Shingo breathed over her shoulder, his voice was shaking with worry. "I've never seen anything like it before in my life."

"I'm checking her vital signs. What happened to her that she's in this state?" she asked Shingo.

"Um...Lady Boarder, you should probably tell her." he replied, looking to the other woman.

She nodded. "On our way here, the princess engaged in a fight with a Chimera that was aboard the ship. She was wounded." She said this, indicating Makoto's arm. "She, of course, didn't think anything of it and came to the ball anyway. I can't be sure, but I think she may have made it worse by trying to tend the would herself," a half smile came to her lips, and was gone an instant later.

"She might have. We won't be sure until we get her to a place where she can be tended to. What I am sure of, though, is that she is poisoned. It's been in her blood stream for a while. The Chimera must have been poisonous." She tapped the screen several times, trying to identify the poison and its cure. She wasn't ready for this. Her training had only begun two years ago, and her shaking hands validated her thoughts. Though her hands betrayed her, Ami's mind was fast at work. The calm facade, in fact, was calming the two before her, though she didn't notice. She gradually gained control of her shaking hands, as she became more frustrated with herself. _'What type of poison is it? It should be here somewhere. My computer always has the answers. Why now, of all times, would it not?'_ The guards arrived with a stretcher and crouched next to the three of them. _'Dammit! What am I supposed to do now?_' She looked up from the computer, and at the faces around her. They were all hopeful, and held the same question._ 'But I don't have the answer.' _Ami felt defeated. She slowly closed the useless gadget she held, and steeled herself to confirm how very incompetent the Princess of Mercury truly was.

* * *

_Continued...

* * *

_


	11. Chapter 10: Acting

**Chapter 10: Acting**

The guards were now looking to Ami for their orders. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she noticed that they were now kneeling. Next to her, Boarder quickly fell to a kneeling position as well, her head bowed in reverence. That was when Ami felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she looked up slightly to see her mother standing behind her. The Queen motioned for those bowing to rise, and looked down at her daughter. Knowing Ami better than any other soul, she saw the distress in her daughter's eyes.

"Let me take a look," she said, smiling reassuringly. Ami found relief at seeing that smile. Her mother would know what to do, even if she, herself, was uncertain. Ami moved aside to let her mother take her place next to the Princess of Jupiter. The Queen indicated that Ami should open her computer back up and glanced over the small panels and jumping lines that flashed precariously across the screen. Nodding to herself, and confirming something unspoken, she motioned for the guards to bring the stretcher.

She then spoke to all of them, in a very low tone, so that none would hear her but those gathered. "I've heard the story already, about her fight with the Chimera aboard your ship." She glanced at Boarder, who nodded. The Queen continued, "Yes, that was the beast that poisoned her. Don't worry though, it's a slow acting poison, and can be easily treated if you know the antidote. And it just so happens," she tapped her own temple, "that I know exactly the regents needed and have them on hand." There were collective affirmations of relief among them all. "However," she continued in a serious voice, "you are not to speak of this to _anyone_. If someone asks of her condition, then you are to say that she was fatigued after such a long trip. She merely pushed herself too far during this recent fight, and suffered the consequences." She looked at each one of them in turn. "Do I make myself clear?"

Many nodded, but Ami was confused as to why her mother was telling them this. Was there something that she should know? The Queen of Mercury was one of the most respected healers alive, so she knew that her diagnoses had to be correct. There was something else to this, and she wouldn't question her mother about it until they were alone.

Haruka soon appeared beside the guards, "We'll take it from here," she said, dismissing them. They nodded, then bowed and left. Rei also joined them, and together she and Haruka lifted the unconscious princess onto the stretcher. It was a bit short for the tall Jovian, but it proved to serve its use well enough for them to carry her down two corridors. They brought her to a small, but comfortable room that was sparsely furnished. It contained a bed, and a table with two chairs around it. The Queen told the two to place Makoto on the bed, and then whispered something to Rei, who nodded and proceeded to light the candles situated around the room. Ami then realized that Minako had stayed behind with Michiru in the Hall. She only noticed this because Minako always liked to see Rei use her powers. Rei need do nothing but stand where she was and regard each candle in turn, and it would ignite with a thought. She prided herself on self control, and her power over fire was one she honed to perfection. Soon the room was bathed in the soft glow of the candles.

Ami was sent to gather herbs, vials, and various other ingredients for her mother from the Palace Apothecary and her mother's own quarters. Though her mother had assured her that everything would be fine, she still couldn't help but rush to gather the items. Upon her return, she found Rei standing guard at the door. Ami raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the dark-haired warrior.

Rei shrugged, "Your mother sent the Jovians away. Told them that she would keep them informed of their princess's condition," she used a lazy tone that expressed her boredom with the assignment, "Haruka went to help Michiru in the Hall. Who knows where Minako's gotten to." She looked around the hall, as if the blond would jump out of the shadows at any given moment.

Ami gave a short laugh, "She'll turn up eventually; She always does."

"I'm not sure if that would be a good thing or not right now though..." Rei trailed off as she moved to let Ami pass.

Her mother was seated in a chair that she had pulled close to the bed, and was currently leaning over her patient. Ami drew closer and set the items her mother had sent for on the table, which was now also pulled closer to the bed as well.

"Is the guard really necessary?" she asked.

"A healer must never be distracted while she works. Sometimes it can mean life or death to the one she is tending."

Ami nodded her understanding.

Her mother had already removed the princess's shirt. It was thrown over the other chair; one whole sleeve was soaked in blood. Ami noticed a large amount of bandages over her chest.

"How badly was she wounded?" she asked. "I thought it was only her arm."

"It _is_ only her arm. The bandages over her chest are her own doing. It is not so uncommon for a female warrior to bind her chest. I've left it on for modesty's sake."

"But she was only going to be attending a ball tonight. Why would she see a need to?"

"Jovian warriors believe in being prepared at all times for anything. Makoto, here, is no exception. I even found this when I removed her boots." She handed Ami a small dagger.

Ami accepted the blade and pulled it partially from its sheath. It looked extremely sharp. "Oh," was her simple reply.

Her mother smiled at her daughter's uneasy expression. "One might think that Jovians would live longer because of such preparation. However, there is always something to balance out these things, and that is their fierce pride and determination. This more often than not, is what gets them killed even before their prime. They feel that they must protect others, but will not readily accept any protection of their own." The Queen was cutting away the stitches and cleaning the wound as she talked. "Begin preparing and combining those ingredients as I have indicated on the parchment there, if you will dear."

Ami nodded and began doing as told. '_What a waste_,' she thought, glancing at the sleeping Jovian, '_such a magnificent being, doomed by her own blood to be snuffed out so quickly._' This made her mad just thinking about it. She ground the herbs she was working at a little harder than intended. '_Who's to say it should be that way? Every person is different. We don't live our lives as our ancestors did_. _Things change...people change._'

"Mother,"Ami began.

"Hmm?" Her mother was now closing the gash in Makoto's arm with small, neat stitches.

"Why did you tell everyone to keep the nature of her wound a secret?"

The Queen didn't answer right away. She continued with her mending. Ami wondered if she'd heard her or not.

"It's not something that would help the situation right now," she finally answered. "Makoto is different from the rest of you girls, Ami. I'm not going to lie to you because I'm sure you would have figured it out sooner or later. Her life is in danger every day, whether she'll admit to it or not. It would not due to have her assassin know that the poison almost worked. It's better if they think that she killed the beast without difficulty. If they knew the poison may have worked on an immortal such as Makoto, they could very well find something more potent and come after her again. Though, they will no doubt come after her anyway. Hopefully, her presence behind the palace walls will delay their treachery for a while. We can only pray that tonight's events with the Harpy had nothing to do with her being here, and that Beryl really was just trying to ruin the festivities."

Ami was beginning to understand the situation. The Princess of Jupiter had no family left, and being an immortal, as was Ami and her own mother, she would live a very long time. With no family, though, who would inherit the throne?

"So someone wants her dead, so that they can take her place? Or is it something even more sinister, like the Negaverse?"

Her mother shook her head, "I'm not sure really. Maybe both. Who knows with all that's going on right now. This is, however, a top priority on the Queen's list. Makoto has never reported any of the incidents where she was put in danger by one of these assassins, but we've been informed through other means."

Ami knew what that implied. "There is a spy among her advisors?" she questioned, shocked.

The Queen of Mercury smiled. "Spy is a harsh word to use. It's just what you said, an advisor. We receive reports from them every now and then, when something like this happens. She is well guarded, unbeknownst to her. She has been raised by them, somewhat, since her parents died. It was a necessary action. Since she is a Jovian princess, she must be raised in her native homeland. She's too stubborn to willingly accept the help, so it must be done indirectly and in secret." Her mother was finishing up with the stitches on Makoto's arm.

"If her life is in such danger, why would she not accept the help?"

"Well, Jovans are very protective people. They want to protect, not be protected themselves. In exchange for their strength and courage, they acquire quite a temper and detachment to those around them. It's their way of caring, as strange as that may seem."

Ami gave her a weird look.

"What? Well, I find it quite charming when seeing it put into action. You haven't been around Jovians before, so you wouldn't know."

"They sound grumpy. She didn't exactly act very friendly with any of us tonight either."

Her mother was now putting a bandage around Makoto's arm. "Yes, it takes a very tolerant person to befriend a Jovian, especially one of royal blood. The person who does would be lucky indeed, for the loyalty of a royal Jovian is one of the strongest bonds in the universe, but it is hard to acquire. They're too stubborn at times." Finished with the bandage, she moved over to the water, and rinsed her hands.

"As stubborn as Jovians are, Martians can be just as bad. Their passion for battle is equal to any Jovian, but they are more in tune with their element. Most Martians will not enter a melee battle. They like to keep a calm exterior and weigh their options if at all possible. They can make wonderful leaders."

"Rei is always calm...unless Minako or Usagi is around. Then her temper can flare up."

Her mother moved to help her with the antidote. "That's just how friends are. I knew a Martian like that too. And Minako may play around a lot, but Venusians are amazing leaders as well. With their pleasant looks and sweet words, they are at home in any political setting. They could convince a Mercurian that the Moon was the center of the Universe if you gave them enough time."

Ami shook her head.

"Hmm, so you don't agree?" she asked her daughter, while helping to mix the ingredients for the antidote.

"Minako has tried to convince me of many things on several occasions. She has never succeeded though."

The queen unstopped a vial. "I would assume that the reason for this is because she sees you as a friend. Minako would never try to force an idea on you that she knew you didn't agree with. That won't stop her form teasing of course, but still. One thing I've learned about Venusians is that they are impulsive. They will leap without looking, but once they have time to think, they usually know when to stop. Sometimes the damage is irreparable, other times only minor."

Ami nodded. "Minako has been getting into a lot of trouble with Usagi lately. She'll get one of her ideas and convince Usagi that it's the most wonderful plan in the Universe. She always falls for it."

The Queen laughed. "Yes, Minako is a lot of trouble. She's very energetic, and fearless. That's why I hope that you and Rei will watch over her. She probably doesn't know what she can and can't handle." Her mother's tone became more natural as she talked with her daughter. "I believe that she will turn out to be a good Queen one day, but that will not be for some time now...at least, I hope." She looked over at Makoto, and noticing that the woman had begun to sweat again, she moved to gently wipe her face with a cloth. Her eyes were sad.

"Is something wrong mother?" Ami asked.

Her mother finished dabbing Makoto's forehead, and stared at her sleeping face. She said nothing for a moment, then, "Makoto will become Queen of Jupiter on her one hundredth birthday. I wonder, will she be ready?" She sighed, "So young...she's just too young for such a burden. Growing up so alone, she should have had more friends, and a family to support her through it all. It was an enormous loss when her parents were killed. I did not know them quite as well as I would have liked to. We Mercurians are always such a bore. We love knowledge, yet we tend to look for it in the wrong places. I would never known the sound of the King's voice from reading it in a book. Nor would I have seen exactly how beautiful the Queen was, or the power that was immanent in the Jovian Palace. You could only feel it if you were actually there. Or, what does twilight look like on Ganymede? And I would never have know there daughter would grow into such a strong, beautiful woman."

Ami set the completed antidote on the table between them and met her mother's eyes.

"Not all knowledge is gained through reading books Ami. You don't have to study and work all of the time. If there is one thing I want you to remember, above all others, it is that nothing beats an experience. Did you know that Queen Serenity is partial to sweets, and that she has five pet rabbits? She also practices ice skating, even though she falls more often than not. That, you do not learn in a book or on a computer. You have to connect with others. Learn about the person, not the race. Makoto, here," she gestured at the woman on the bed, "you already knew about. Having read about Jovians, you probably already defined her character long ago. You had this stereotypical mental image of her, didn't you?"

Ami nodded, listening intently. It was not often that she was able to hear her mother speak this much. She was usually traveling because of her occupation as a healer. Every little bit of knowledge that she could get from her was taken to heart. Her mother had never been wrong.

"And she was very boring. Just another Jovian, far away from Mercury. Maybe one day you would meet her, but she didn't sound very interesting in the book.

Another nod was her answer.

"But here we have her, Princess Makoto of Jupiter. Can you so easily define her? I can guess the physical description did not do her justice. And we can only wonder how she acquired some of these scars." She indicated Makoto's neck and arms, where several scars of different sizes could be seen. There was even a long one running across her side. "See, already we know something about her that no one will ever read in that book." She smiled, "And once we give her this antidote, she'll be well again. Then you can start creating your own definition of the Princess of Jupiter."

Ami smiled at her mother as she watched her take the antidote and turn to Makoto. The Queen showed her how to get the unconscious woman to drink the liquid. When she was done, she rose form her chair. "If you don't fell like staying here, I'm sure that I could send for a guard to watch over her tonight. She should wake up soon, but she needs to sleep. I just don't want her to wake u in a strange room alone."

Ami shook her head. "I'll be fine, It's no trouble at all. I'm going to need to get used to this if I am to be a good healer."

Her mother looked pleased. "Well then, I see no problem with that. If you change your mind, though, or if she gives you any trouble, don't hesitate to summon someone to take your place."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." The Queen bent forward and placed a kiss on the top of Ami's head.

She turned to go, but stopped. "Another thing Ami. I don't want you to ever feel as though you are useless."

Ami said nothing.

"I saw the look in your eyes tonight. You were afraid. No one else would have known the antidote for that poison. I am one of the few who know of it in the universe. Now, you have joined those few. Don't forget that you're not alone. There are others here to help, and we'll never blame you if you don't have the answer. Just preform to the best of your ability in everything you do. That's all that I can ask of you." The Queen of Mercury left, smiling.

"Goodnight then dear."

"Goodnight mother."

A few moments later, the door closed behind her, leaving Ami alone with the sleeping Jovian.

'_Time slips away so quickly_,' Rei thought, as she leaned heavily against the wall, outside the chamber. Her jacket lay abandoned on a chair that the Queen of Mercury had provided for her. Rei had insisted on staying. She didn't think Ami could handle the Jovian by herself if she gave the small woman any trouble. This seemed to relieve the queen. Rei chose to stand, for she knew that the moment she sat down, sleep would take her.

'_I remember her now. She was so small and helpless looking back then. She's changed so much that I can't believe I was looking at the same person_,' the door was left open just enough for Rei to look in on them. Ami was sitting at the table, silently reading and glancing over at Makoto from time to time. '_She's already on her way to being a great healer_,' Rei smiled. Her eyes drifted to the form on the bed. '_So different from that girl of long ago. The one that I caught glances of, hiding behind her father's leg or her mother's dress._' Rei had never met Makoto. None of them had, because Makoto was a terribly shy child back then. Her parents worried nothing of it, though, saying that it was just a phase that she would soon grow out of. It was something she was forced to resolve after their deaths. Perhaps Makoto had been forced to grow out of many things. How different was she from the other princesses?

Rei leaned back against the wall, once again, and let out a long sigh as she closed her eyes. Thoughts of the night's events bombarded her mind. It was tiring to her, to have to sort through so many things that troubled her like this. She couldn't possibly figure all of this out now, while she was this worn out. She pushed the thoughts from her mind, resolving that she would deal with them tomorrow, during her daily meditation.

That, of course, providing that Minako didn't decide to come wake her with a bucket of ice water in the middle of it. She was always doing things like that to her. '_Why does she get so much joy out of torturing me?' _

Rei cringed at the memory of one particular occasion in which Minako had waited until Rei was deep into a relaxed state of meditation. She'd then snuck up behind her, and poured an entire wineskin over her head, drenching her clean to her undergarments. Yet again, Rei let her temper get to her that day, and had to go running after the blond like a mad woman. Minako was laughing the whole way through the corridors of the palace, while shouting that she was being chased by a mad, drunk Martian. Rei had never been so embarrassed in her life.

Then there was the time when Rei was again meditating in front of the fire, as usual. A strange smell broke her concentration. She remembered opening her eyes to find a grinning Minako roasting some sort of food over the sacred fire. And to her utter horror, she'd also turned to see a sheepish Usagi doing the same thing. Rei came very close to burning Minako alive that day.

Rei just didn't understand why Minako was always doing these things to her. She hardly ever pulled pranks on Ami. Minako had done these things when they were children, but not to such an extreme. As they got older, Minako started to pester her whenever they were together. If they were in the same room, she would be near Rei. She was always there, pulling Rei out fo her own world. Rei could never concentrate properly with the impending doom that is Minako close by. The more Rei matured, the more Minako seemed to bother her. She couldn't figure out why Minako bugged her so much.

She suddenly felt the weight of something cold against her neck, and jumped, opening her eyes in surprise. The surprise faded when she saw who it was. Minako's smiling face hovered inches from her own. She held a chip of ice in the air between them. In her other hand she carried a wooden tankard. Rei lifted one eyebrow, "Are you drinking, Mina?"

"Of course not," she answered, lowering her arm and pulling away, "honestly, it's just water." she lifted it to Rei's face for her inspection.

Peering into the tankard, Rei looked skeptical, "Sure it is, Mina," Then she crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall.

"You don't believe me? Fine then," Minako pulled another ice cube from the tankard. This time she brought the ice to Rei's mouth and pushed it through her partially opened lips. Rei was too startled to react as Minako kept two fingers firmly over her mouth, holding it closed.

"Well? You don't taste any alcohol, do you?"

Rei shivered. She was aware of how warm Minako's fingers were in contrast to the ice in her mouth. She shook her head, as best she could, in reply.

Minako nodded and let her hand fall to her side. "Told ya," she said, smiling up at her.

Rei just nodded, and looked down the hall, letting the ice melt in her mouth. "I was just kidding."

"It's so hard to tell sometimes, if you are or not," said Minako. "You can be too serious, you know?"

"I'm a person of great influence Mina, you know that," she returned her attention to the blond. "I have to set a good example. Any improper behavior might give reason for some to doubt my visions."

Leaning on the wall next to Rei, Minako shook her head. "We're in an empty corridor, well past time for the ones you speak of to be in their beds. It's just you and me here, and you know I'd never doubt you."

Rei looked into light blue eyes, filled with sincerity. She felt strange...kind of tingly. No, Minako never questioned her integrity, ever. When had Rei become like this? So wound up was she, in this facade. The one she created to ward off the disappointed stares and suspicious glances. Trust was all that she wanted. To have a gift, such as her own, was a blessing and a burden. Some were jealous, and others gave no merit to her visions. She could not afford to slip up, for many influential people sought to discredit her. But Minako was correct. There was no one here now. No one to question her every move. Yet she still acted; and how easy it was to act. She wondered if it was still an act at all.

Rei continued to stare into Minako's eyes. They held concern, and the anger she felt for Rei's enemies. But there was something else Rei sensed as well. Something hidden, but not quite. It was powerful, whatever it was, but she couldn't quite discern it. A passion of some sort...but for what? What did Minako feel so strongly about? Now, it became more vivid, the longer Rei looked into those eyes. Rei knew that she, herself, wore a confused expression. She was getting frustrated not knowing what it was. This must have been apparent to Minako, for soon uncertainty joined her maelstrom of emotions, confusing Rei.

Still, she found that one passion again, wanting to know what it was. She leaned forward, the proximity making it stronger. Suddenly, Minako's eyes widened slightly as she took a small step backward. Confusion and uncertainty swept over Minako's eyes, concealing Rei's quarry. Rei's own head filled with confusion as she turned her head away from Minako.

She felt a loss, and didn't know why. She'd looked Minako in the eyes plenty of times before. What was so different now? _'It must be because it's so late. Yeah, that's it, and I can't think straight right now_.' Nodding to herself and grimacing, she turned to Minako. The other woman was very rigid, clutching her tankard and looking at the floor. '_What is wrong with you though? You're acting so out of character Mina. Are you hiding something from me?_'

She returned to her normal stature and, obtaining her neutral visage, she said, " Stay here okay. I'm going to see if someone is down the corridor there." Rei's voice was flat, and she cursed herself for sounding that way. She didn't mean for it to come out like that.

Minako frowned at her tone, and used one equally devoid of emotion. "Sure. It might be someone spying on you. Wouldn't want to be seen talking with a delinquent like me." She then quietly slipped through the door to the small room, closing it completely behind her.

Rei's anger rose in response to Minako's demeanor. Who was she to act that way? Rei wasn't the one hiding things. Minako had some mysterious secret, and by the fires of Mars, Rei was going to find out what she was hiding. She needed to know. Now that she had a sense of it, she couldn't get rid of it. It tickled at the back of her mind, teasing Rei and her ignorance. '_That woman is going to drive me mad one day_.' She began walking in the dim light, towards the presence that she'd sensed earlier. Rei felt drained; she just needed rest, that was all. Then tomorrow morning she would clear all of this up during meditation. '_That is, if Minako doesn't decide to take her revenge on me then_.'

* * *

_Continued

* * *

_


	12. Chapter 11: A Feeling

I apologize for the lateness of this update. There were plenty of times I could have been typing this, but I opted to finally watch the live action (which was excellent), accompanied by many other anime series that I'd been meaning to watch. Also, I had to decide how I was going to do a few things with this story, and I've come up with a concept that will either make it or break it. We'll see...

_- Aldsvider_

So, 2 strawberry sodas, 3 jawbreakers, a broken AC, a few hurricanes, and a box of Gobstoppers later...

**Chapter 11: A Feeling**

Ami's eyelids felt heavy as she glanced over the top of her book for what might have been the hundredth time since her mother left the room. She couldn't help it, the woman was just so distracting, even if she was only lying there breathing. Deciding that the book wasn't really serving any purpose other than allowing her to memorize the first few lines on page two, she shut it in defeat and leaned onto the table, resting her chin on her arm. The room was silent except for the soft murmuring of voices coming from the other side of the door, behind her. She could just make out Rei's low voice, and the other she guessed to be Minako's. They were talking low enough that she wasn't able to make out what one was saying to the other. Ami had begun to think that the Martian had gotten tired of holding vigil outside the door and that maybe she had retreated to bed.

'_What a dumb thought. Once Rei has her mind set on something, she sees it through to the end.'_ Ami berated herself.

So Rei would play sentinel until Makoto woke up. Usually, Ami didn't have a problem staying awake so long. On Mercury, she spent many hours in the library and often lost track of time. As a result, she slept most of the day away at times, or she only got a few hours of sleep if she had duties to attend to the next day. She let her eyes drift across the room to where Makoto lay and watched the sheet covering the woman's chest rise and fall with her breathing. _'Funny, she doesn't look like a warrior when she's sleeping. It's alright if she doesn't wake up till morning. I think I can last that long at least.'_ Ami sighed tiredly. _'She needs her rest so that she can get better anyway. I should be ashamed for wanting her to wake up sooner.'_

The door opened and closed behind her. Ami turned, expecting to see Rei, but was surprised when she saw Minako walking into the room. "Oh, hello Mina, I thought that you would be in bed already."

Minako smiled, and nodded in greeting, "I'd actually intended on going to bed after I finished helping clean up in the Hall, but after I got to my room, I felt too restless to even try sleeping. So, I decided to come here and see how Makoto is doing, and to thank her for the gift." She turned to Ami. "Ah, thank you for the mirror Ami. Seems you're finally coping with how vain I am. Being the epitome of beauty isn't easy you know. Takes lots of work." She winked and flipped her hair in an exaggerated motion.

Ami giggled. "You're welcome Mina."

Minako grinned and leaned on the table, "You won't believe it, but Rei broke tradition."

"How is that?" Ami asked, curious as to what Rei did.

"She didn't leave a present for me." Minako's grin dropped away and she shrugged, seeming not to care either way.

Ami was surprised at this news. "I don't see why she would do that. Are you sure that you didn't overlook it or something? Maybe she forgot?" Realizing that her statement might not help, Ami shut her mouth, noting Minako's second shrug. She was getting fidgety, and the blonde only did that when she was annoyed with something, or _someone_ in this case, Ami guessed. If Rei broke tradition, Ami didn't think it was intentional. It would all sort itself out in time.

Minako sighed, pushing away from the table and walked over to where Makoto lay sleeping. The chair that Ami's mother had occupied earlier was still sitting close to the bed, so Minako now sat there. Ami watched her closely, wondering what the blonde was up to.

"There's something that I just have to know," Minako leaned over Makoto, looking at her closely.

"What's that?" Ami asked.

Instead of answering, Minako reached over and pulled the sheet back, revealing Makoto's toned upper torso. "Hm, so that's how she did it. She binds her chest. Did a great job of fooling us."

"Well, mother says that most warriors bind their chest. Since Makoto is a warrior, it is no wonder that she does so."

"Ah, that makes sense then. Thank you for clarifying, as always, Ami," Minako smiled at her.

Ami got up and moved around the table to stand next to the bed, in front of Minako, "I was only repeating what my mother said." Ami didn't like to let her friends think that she knew everything.

"Same difference," Minako replied, continuing to look Makoto over.

Sighing in defeat, Ami turned away from Minako and checked Makoto's temperature by placing her hand against the woman's forehead. Now that she was much closer to the Jovian, she tried not to notice exactly how well formed Makoto's body was. From a medical point of view, Ami had to admit that Makoto was an excellent example of near anatomical perfection. It was as if someone had modeled her form directly from that of the goddesses themselves. The scars scattered across her tanned skin did not mar, but served to enhance the magnificence of her oh so perfect frame.

She deemed Makoto's condition to be acceptable, and nodded when she was done with her examination. Minako, done with her own examination, leaned heavily on the bed, chin in her hands. "Hm, no wonder Michiru wanted Makoto to model for her," she reached over and traced the soft outline of Makoto's abdominal muscles with her fingertips. "She's a work of art, in and of herself. A different kind of beauty, compared to me." Her eyes took on a far off look, "I wonder if Rei is anything like this?"

Ami didn't really care what Rei's anatomical structure might be like. What she did care about, though, was the fact that Minako was still letting her hand trail lazily across Makoto's abdomen. If she continued, she might wake Makoto up, and Ami wanted her patient to get the sleep that she needed now. She was about to suggest that Minako go get some rest of her own, when it registered in her mind that Makoto's breathing was not the slow and steady rhythm that it was moments before. Looking over at Makoto's face, she saw the woman's eyes open slightly.

"Um, Minako," Ami said silently.

"Yeah?" Minako looked up at her, her eyes still distant.

"I think she's–,"

Ami didn't get the chance to finish her sentence, for Minako let out a small yelp as she was pulled forward violently by Makoto, who was now very awake. Makoto held her wrist in a tight grip, her face very close to Minako's. Her other hand was under the pillow that she'd been laying on. She seemed to be trying to find something there. Unable to find it, she pushed Minako away from her, sending the blonde back into the chair she'd been pulled out of. Lifting the pillow, Makoto looked under it quickly, and then stopped just as quickly. She looked at the pillow in her hand, then at herself, and finally she looked at her surroundings. Ami could almost see the realization hit the Jovian. Her eyes fell upon Ami, and she put the pillow down, sitting up in the bed in a more relaxed position. Minako sat in the chair she'd landed back in, rubbing her wrist, hesitant to move anywhere.

Makoto was looking between the two of them. Ami guessed that she was replaying the nights events in her mind. Trying to remember what happened. She gave the brunette a few moments to gather her wits.

Makoto finally spoke, looking over at Minako, "I apologize if I hurt you. It was a reflex, and I didn't mean anything by it. My brain was still addled from sleep."

Minako smiled at Makoto, looking more comfortable now. "No worries. I'd have probably done, well, something about the same as that I guess." she tried to console her. "You've been through quite a lot tonight anyway."

Makoto nodded. "So, where am I now?" she asked in a rough voice.

"You're still in the Palace. We needed to get you somewhere where we could tend to you fast, and this turned out to be it. It's small, but has served its purpose rather well so far."

Makoto was bending her legs, testing their maneuverability. Satisfied, she shifted until her legs were over the side of the bed, her feet touching the floor. She still seemed somewhat confused. Ami watched the woman bend her arms and flex her fingers, holding them level with her face. She then addressed Minako again. "How long have I been out?"

"I'd say, around four hours or so. You slept most of it, after you were given the antidote."

"Antidote?" Makoto questioned while rubbing the back of her neck and rolling her head to the right.

"You were poisoned," Ami answered, deciding she should explain, "The Chimera that you fought was a rare species. You're very lucky that the poison acted slowly, otherwise, I doubt that you would be sitting here now. It is one of the few that can kill an immortal."

Makoto looked up at Ami, meeting her eyes for the first time. She felt a slight jolt in her stomach, and her chest tingled when she breathed in. "I don't feel so immortal lately," Makoto stated plainly. They did not break eye contact, and Makoto seemed to be studying her.

Ami was looking into the deepest green eyes that she had ever seen, nor would she ever see anything like them in another being. Those intense and powerful orbs were the last of their kind. The royal blood flowing through Makoto's veins would end with her. She was the last of the pure blooded Jovian royalty to sit upon the throne of Jupiter, and as Ami met that overpowering gaze, it was as if she could see the will of a hundred warriors and the weight of a hundred more burdens. Makoto was older than she was in many ways. What a shame that there would be no more of her kind in this world. Ami felt the loss when Makoto looked away from her. It wasn't like Ami to want someone's attention, but she felt a little jealous when Makoto asked Minako the next question, though her voice was clearer now.

"So then, where's the healer?" She stood up from the bed. "If it's almost morning, then I'll need to be getting up so that I can go help unload the ship. I'll be needing a change of clothes too."

Ami immediately stepped forward and, placing her hands on Makoto's shoulder's, which wasn't easy, considering Makoto's height compared to hers, she pushed the tall woman back down onto the bed. "I'm sorry, but that is out of the question at this time. You need your rest because you are still recovering, and I'm sure that they can take care of everything without your help. If you still feel uneasy about it, then I'm sure that we can find some extra hands to assist with the task."

Ami now sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded in her lap. Minako leaned on the bed, still seated in her chair. "There are plenty of people around here with nothing to do. You shouldn't be worrying about that kind of stuff anyway, in your condition," Minako added.

"I wouldn't make my people do anything that I, myself, wouldn't do. I'd like an order extended for them to hold off on the heavier labor until I'm fully recovered."

"Is that wise? We're more than willing to give you aid, and I'm sure that your people will understand that you cannot help them in your condition."

"We do not need aid. Hopefully, I'll be fine by tomorrow anyway. Now, where is the healer, so that I can find out?" She was growing impatient.

Minako giggled and pointed at Ami. "Right in front of you."

"You?" Makoto asked, the surprise evident in her voice.

Ami felt a tad offended at Makoto's reaction. _'Is it so strange that I could be a healer?_' "I am really just training right now. My mother is the one who figured out what was wrong with you, and she also stitched up your arm. I just made the antidote."

"Oh, come on Ami. You've been sitting here for a few hours watching over her too. That counts for a whole lot." Minako leaned back in her chair. "So, what's your assessment of the patient?"

Ami looked at Makoto, who was staring back at her, traces of surprise still present on her face. "Are you aching anywhere?"

"No." Makoto's reply was immediate.

"Is that the tuth?"

"N-Yes." Makoto's jaw tightened.

Ami knew that Makoto was lying. It was evident in the way she was acting. Her muscles were bound to still be acing all over. She was also going to be nauseous from the antidote. Plus, a warrior like Makoto would not have so easily submitted to being pushed back onto the bed earlier. "I'm going to suggest that you get bed rest all of tomorrow. You need to give your body a chance to get everything out of your system. Basically, you're still fighting the poison right now., but it's dwindled from a war to a skirmish. A fight is a fight, however, and so it's bed rest for you," she said with finality.

Makoto did not look pleased at all. Resigning herself to the prospect of a day in bed, she sighed, "Well, it won't be the first time I've been poisoned. I should be used to this by now, but, you know, I'm really not."

Minako perked up a bit, "You've been poisoned before? Exactly how many poisonous monsters have you battled?"

Makoto gave a short laugh, "It's not the monsters that I've got to worry about. It's the humans. They can be more lethal than monsters in many ways. You know what to expect from a monster or beast most of the time. Humans are the tricky ones. It would benefit a lot of people to see the last heir of Jupiter dead. The opportunities that my death presents are just too good. So a portion of the lesser royalty want me killed off. Power-hungry bastards with a taste for immortality."

"I hadn't thought of that," Minako said honestly. "You really are the last one, aren't you. It must be frustrating."

"It's the only way of life that I've known for quite a while now, so I've grown used to it." Makoto acted like none of it bothered her, but Ami couldn't help but think that it was a much bigger problem than she'd like them to know. From what Ami's mother had told her, Makoto was prone to being stubborn, so this was just another form of deflecting other people's concern for her. Ami decided to drop the subject for the time being and went on to redirect the conversation.

"Um, about the Chimera that attacked you on the way here. How did it get aboard the ship?" Ami asked, genuinely interested.

Makoto looked over at her, and Ami could swear that she saw a little relief in the woman's features. "It was in a crate aboard the ship. Someone back on Ganymede slipped it in somehow. It had to have been a group. This has left me wondering about several things. I trust most of my people, but I do not know any of the new recruits yet, so my suspicion falls on them. I'm not fool enough to believe that all of them came with me. I hope that everything is fine back home." Her eyes reflected worry, "Someone who knows me. One of them had to be. They knew that I'd assume that Chimera to be a species that I'd fought before on Io. Of course I would be the one to kill it as well, for I'm confident in my skills. So I fell right into their trap. They are smart, whoever they are." She had a half smile on her face, almost like she was admiring her enemy's thinking.

Ami asked another question, feeling a little out of place next to the warrior, "Do you have an idea of who it might be?"

Makoto shook her head slowly.

"Well, they weren't as smart as they thought they were." She stated firmly, drawing Makoto's full attention. She was giving Ami a questioning look.

Ami gave a small smile, "If they're so smart, then they would have known how long it would be before the poison took effect. If they knew that, then, taking into account how long the voyage would be, it is a simple matter of timing things right. If you had been delayed longer back on Ganymede, then you would not have arrived on time, thus, the hours that you were at the ball would be spent on the ship, away from any healer that might have helped you. Some of the greatest healer's in the universe are right here on the Moon." She shook her head. "I can think of so many ways that would have almost guaranteed your death."

Minako and Makoto were now giving her strange looks. "I don't think that helped, Ami," Minako said with a smile.

Makoto nodded, "You said that she's a healer? Are you sure that you know her as well as you think you do?" Makoto asked Minako, her eyes never leaving Ami.

Minako squinted at Ami, "Well, I thought I did, but you never know about these quiet ones. It's been a while since I've seen her too. About a year hasn't it Ami?"

Ami was now blushing, her hands clenched in her lap, "Yes, Mina, it has been a year. Sad that it could not have been longer."

Minako giggled.

Makoto suddenly became very interested in Ami's face. She leaned closer to Ami, "Uh, are you okay?" Makoto rested a hand on Ami's forehead, concern marking her features. "You look a little red."

"Ah, yes," Ami tried not to stutter, "Yes, I'm fine, just a bit tired is all." Quickly getting control of herself, she rose from the bed, and went to lean against the table, putting some distance between herself and the Jovian.

Makoto lowered her hand, frowning. "You know, if you're not feeling well, then you should take your own advice and get some rest. I don't think you'd like to end up in this bed with me for the next day," she said seriously. Ami's blush deepened upon hearing Makoto's words.

Next to the bed, Minako was laughing. Ami couldn't tell whether she was laughing at what Makoto said, or her own reaction. "No," she managed between giggles, "I think that Ami would be the last person to get into that bed with you."

Ami glared at Minako. _'What is that supposed to mean?_' She glanced at Makoto, who seemed to really be concerned, and then back at Minako, who was still laughing. _'Her statements are starting to grate on my nerves._' "Shut up Mina." Ami fumed.

"You know I'm only teasing you, Ami. You can be almost as serious as Rei sometimes, and that is pretty serious. Lighten up a little."

"This is no time for jokes. Three people are dead, a number of others injured, and someone has attempted to kill the princess of Jupiter. On top of that, we still don't know why Beryl showed up here tonight." Ami tucked an arrant lock of hair behind her ear in a frustrated motion.

"Quit worrying over something that you can do nothing about," Makoto said in a nonchalant voice. "Everything's fine now. If Beryl comes crashing through that door in a few moments, then we'll wipe the floor up with her, otherwise, there's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, Ami, we killed the monster before it could hurt anyone else. All the injured are recovering, including Makoto. As for Beryl, she was probably just trying to spook us or something. Sure managed to ruin Usagi's birthday." Minako said the last sentence through gritted teeth.

Makoto was nodding her head, "We'd be celebrating on Ganymede right now. Any victory, no matter how small, is celebrated."

Minako grinned and leaned forward. "Sounds like my kind of people. Hey, I could run down to the kitchens really quick, grab us some wine and whatever else I can find." She sounded conspiratorial.

Makoto brightened visibly at the prospect of wine. "Hell yes." She said with a nod, looking at Minako.

"Hell no," Ami's voice intoned, breaking through their sudden excitement. She felt as though she were dealing with children now.

"Huh?"

"No?"

"You," she said, pointing at Makoto, "Will be resting. You will be sent food in the morning, but there will be no wine until you are completely recovered." Makoto bit her lip and looked away.

"And you," she merely looked at Minako a moment, before frowning and pushing away from the table to stand facing her, "can go do whatever it is that you do, so long as it is away from this room."

Minako smirked and crossed her arms. "Alright Healer Ami. I'll humor you, just this once, and go do what it is that I do. Which just so happens to be getting some sleep myself." She got up from the chair and moved to stand beside Makoto. "First, though, I'd like to thank you for the gift. They're simply beautiful!"

Ami had yet to find out what Makoto had given her. She knew her own gift wasn't much to get excited over. Not knowing Makoto, she had racked her brain, trying to come up with logical things that might make good gifts. Finally, coming across the medical book one day, she decided that it would have to do. It was one of the only medical books of its kind, written by a Mercurian and translated into Jovian. A very rare find, but would a Jovian appreciate it for what it was?

Ami heard the door open behind her, and turned to see Rei enter, holding a bundle under one arm. Minako didn't notice, as she was till taking to Makoto. Rei's steps were soft on the carpeted floor. She came to a stop beside Ami, observing Minako and Makoto with her calm features.

They were coming to the end of their conversation. "You should get some sleep now. Time goes by faster that way. The day will pass by quickly, and you'll be back on your feet in no time at all."

Makoto was still gloomy. "You might be right. It's only one day after all. That's not very long when I think about it." She gave Minako a strange smile. Ami couldn't interpret the expression, but she couldn't help but think that she'd seen it somewhere before.

"Sleep well then, Mako." Minako said in a chipper voice.

"Mako?" Rei muttered silently beside Ami.

"I'll see you again when you're fully recovered." She paused before going, "Again, I'd like to thank you for the gift." She leaned down and placed a small kiss on Makoto's cheek, then turned to leave. Makoto looked after her, puzzled.

Ami let out a frustrated breath and looked over at Rei. The Martian's posture was very stiff, and she gripped the bundle that she was carrying tightly. Her face was passive, but her jaw seemed to be clenched tightly shut. Rei was being unusually irritated around Minako lately, like she was now. Ami couldn't understand why Minako's action had such an effect on Rei, she was only teasing them all a little.

Minako stopped in place when she saw Rei's rigid form next to Ami. "So, what was lurking in the shadows Rei?" Her voice was mocking. Ami gave Rei a questioning look, and Makoto looked around Mianko at Rei. "What does she mean, _lurking in the shadows_?"

Rei handed the bundle that she carried to Ami, ignoring Makoto. "No one was lurking anywhere Mina," she said in an even voice. "A Jovian was inquiring as to their princess's condition. They sent a change of clothes."

Ami unrolled the bundle to reveal a set of deep emerald green, silken night clothes. She thought that they were beautiful. Makoto, however, just shrugged, lying back down.

"I'm to inform the Princess of Jupiter that, due to the fact that she is currently staying in the Palace of the Moon, she should wear these to bed." Rei paused, then continued, "Also, if she chooses to forgo either half of the garment, then she is not to go wandering about the palace." Minako giggled, and Ami couldn't help the half smile that crept onto her face. Rei continued to look ornery. "Of course, if my guess is right, she won't be wandering anywhere if Ami told her not to, correct?"

She looked at Ami, who nodded.

"She does have a name you know," Minako said, once her giggles had subsided, "and she's sitting right there. Why can't you just say it straight to her?"

"Excuse me if I am not as_ familiar_ with her as you seem to be," Rei half grumbled, then turned to leave.

"What's that statement supposed to mean?" Minako asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"Goodnight Ami, You should get to bed soon."

"Hey!" Minako said forcefully.

"Goodnight Mina," Rei said, sighing and opening the door. "See you in the morning." She left, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Minako stood there for a few moments, staring at the door. Then, looking around at the other two, she said her goodnights and left, closing the door behind her with a slight snap.

Ami didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or not by their very un princess-like behavior, so she was a little surprised when she turned to see Makoto wearing a small grin.

"Are your friends always this amusing?" she asked.

Ami returned the smile. "It's a daily occurrence. That's just the way they are. Never in public though. At least, in Rei's case, she would never misconduct herself then."

"Yes, well, we all have to put on a show sometimes. Deception isn't a skill so easily perfected. This I know well."

Ami's smiled faltered as Makoto's tone changed to something darker. She watched as Makoto pushed back the covers, rising from the bed. Ami couldn't make herself tell the Jovian that she shouldn't get up, that she should stay in bed. Somehow, she believed that, even if she could find her voice to tell her, Makoto wouldn't listen. She walked confidently towards Ami, no sign that she was injured visible. When she finally stopped in front of Ami, her form towered over the smaller woman. Ami backed into the table behind her, mentally cursing it's existence as the Jovian came closer. Putting an arm on either side of Ami, Makoto leaned onto the table, looking into Ami's dark blue eyes. In the first instant that their eyes met, Ami actually felt her own existence, like she'd never felt it before. It was as if Makoto's eyes defined her, read her, made her become more aware of herself. She could feel the heat of Makoto's skin close to her own, and her body reacted to that closeness in a way that was totally unexpected to Ami. Her skin tingled where Makoto's arms barely brushed her sides. It suddenly became hard to breathe, and she wondered why her throat felt so tight. Looking into Makoto's eyes, she pondered what the woman might be thinking. Her motive seemed to be intimidation, but internally, Ami was reacting in a completely different way than she, herself, had expected. It was almost as if she _wanted_ Makoto to dominate her.

"Were you spying on me tonight?" Makoto's low voice broke through Ami's thoughts. Her tone was flat, not accusing. It was a simple statement that was probably attached to many other questions and doubts in the Jovian's mind. Ami did not understand why Makoto would assume such an idea, but she answered her truthfully, keeping her voice as strong and even as her gaze.

"We were told that if we could figure out your identity at the ball, then we were to keep you company, and make you feel welcome. The Queen's request did not imply spying in any way, and we did not realize your identity until the battle with the Harpy." Makoto drew her brows together in response to Ami's answer. Ami did not know if it was in confusion or disappointment. Makoto seemed to be searching for something in Ami, who held her gaze steadily, without backing away. Her eyes left Ami's, as she looked over the rest of her face. Ami willed herself not to blush at being studied so closely. The feelings running through her body were as foreign to her as the woman that aroused them, and Makoto seemed unaware of Ami's inner conflict. It occurred to Ami that Makoto might not find anything strange about such closeness, such an invasion of personal space. When one can feel the heat of another's body, their breath, the lightest brush of skin upon skin, then it is too close. _'Much too close_,' Ami's mind repeated the phrase several times. When Makoto gave no sign that she intended to move, Ami forced herself to speak, as if only just now remembering that she had a voice, "If my answer does not satisfy you, then you may wish to speak with the Queen yourself, otherwise," she laid a hand on Makoto's stomach, pushing her gently away, the contact made Ami falter momentarily, when she remembered that Makoto only wore bandages and she felt the defined muscles tense below her fingertips, but she quickly found her voice again, "you need to get changed and return to bed." She looked down and away from Makoto, hoping to hide the blush that colored her skin.

Makoto backed away, almost hesitantly. Her hand briefly sliding across the spot on her stomach that Ami had touched. At this, Ami unconsciously clasped her hands behind her back and looked at anything but the older woman. True, Makoto did not physically touch her, but she was shaken none the less. '_Was it this warm in here before_?' She finally looked up at Makoto. The Jovian was watching her.

"I'm satisfied enough," Makoto said, "I don't plan on talking to your Queen." Ami noted the way she phrased "_your Queen_", but said nothing. Queen Serenity ruled the entire Kingdom, regardless of whether this Jovian recognized her or not. "I'm not saying that I'll trust you or anything, though, I just won't question your honesty until I have reason to."

Makoto was being blunt with Ami, not letting her guard down. She understood the reason for her defensive nature, so her annoyance with the brunette was only minor. If Ami was to be on good terms with this woman, then she would have to respect her character. Makoto was a strong woman, and so, Ami needed to be strong as well in order to earn her trust. If she couldn't, well, nothing gained nor lost really. Makoto simply intrigued her, for she'd never known a Jovian, and her mother's words played over in her mind. She needed to create her own definition of Makoto, and she had a month to do it.

Ami picked up the green night clothes from where they lay on the table and extended them toward Makoto, who took them with a sigh. "Well then, let's just concentrate on getting you better for now." She smiled at the suspicious look Makoto was giving her. _'It isn't as if I have anything to lose anyway.'_

* * *

Makoto took the silk garments from the smaller woman. Smaller, yes, but that implied nothing of her will. The Mercurian, who appeared so soft and fragile, seemed stronger than most men that Makoto had met in her lifetime. Usually, most people became fearful and intimidated when they locked gazes with her. She could be frightening when she needed to, and to be honest, she was slightly discouraged when the woman didn't seem the least bit scared. In fact, she looked as if she was mad even, or that Makoto was a simple annoyance. She'd even pushed her back. Makoto didn't doubt her answer, for she'd seen the truth in her eyes. Eyes that held her locked in place until she'd managed to look away, only to closely study the soft porcelain curves of her face. Locks of that strangely beautiful hair falling in disarray about her shoulders. Just when Makoto had a mind to reach out and touch it, the Mercurian spoke, and actually pushed her away. That would have to be the second time this night that she had been pushed. Maybe the fourth in her life, and by such a small woman. _'Her hand was warm...,_' she was, surprisingly, not angry about being pushed around. '_Why did I want to touch her..._,' gripping the garments in one hand, she looked over at Ami, '_why do I still want to touch her?_' She watched Ami move a book and a few small bowls and vials into a little bunch near one corner of the table. She picked them up carefully, in a sort of proper, neat manner. Her form leaned easily against the table, blue hair falling to one side of her face, she reached up to hold most of it back with her other hand. She looked so delicate. Makoto looked down at the silk garments held limply in her hands. "Too delicate for me..."

Ami looked up at her words. A cute smile forming on her face. _'Cute? Well, yes, I guess you could call it that.' _

"Does that bother you?" She asked.

'_If she was angry, she doesn't seem to be anymore.'_ She felt relieved for some reason. "Bother isn't the right word, I think. Some things are best admired from afar, and well..." She was struggling to find the words, "I'm not the gentlest person around." She tried a smile, something she didn't do often.

Ami looked to be caught between confusion and amusement. "That's no reason to refuse yourself something that was made for you?"

"Huh?" Makoto stared at Ami for a moment, swallowing hard, and trying to think of something to say.

Ami gestured toward the night clothes. "They're still yours, why not wear them? From what I have seen, green suits you well."

Realization hit her hard_, '_"OH!" Makoto said it somewhat louder than she'd intended, making Ami jump._ 'She's much better at this smiling thing. What am I thinking?' _"The tailors made these. I didn't tell them to make em like this. As long as it's comfortable, I could care less what it looks like." Makototurned, heading for the bed quickly. She was finding it harder and harder to speak properly in the common tongue. Not being used to it, she kept slipping into her native language, but Ami didn't ask her to repeat herself and didn't seem confused at all.

"You must have some very good servants working for you then. They know well what suits you."

"Ah, I'm not the one who hired them. Boarder takes care of all that." She set her nightclothes on the bed and began removing the cloth binding from around her chest. "I don't have time to worry about things like that."

Behind her, Ami did something Makoto never expected, she began speaking in Jovian, "Don't let Minako hear you say that. She considers herself something of an expert in the area of fashion, and will try to outfit you with a new wardrobe before you know it."

Makoto spun around shocked, half the cloth binding in her hand. "You...you?" Had she heard her right?

Ami looked at the floor and coughed lightly. "I know a bit of the Jovian language. Did I butcher it horribly with my Mercurian accent?"

"Not at all." Makoto was in awe. "I just didn't think anyone would care to know it. It's not used much anymore. Most people have switched to using common exclusively."

"Yes, well, I have to admit that Jovian is not the only language that I've dabbled in." As Makoto finally pulled her binding free and let it drop to the floor, Ami turned completely away from her. "I'm rather fluent in Martian and about three other languages." Her voice wavered.

Makoto continued undressing, removing her pants next. "That's really something. And here, the only thing that I can read is Jovian. I only recently started learning common. I can't even imagine knowing that many languages." She was becoming a bit annoyed, talking to Ami's back. "Is there a reason you're not facing me? I find it irritating talking to your backside." Her voice reflected her irritation as well.

A tired sigh from Ami, then, "I am trying to give you some privacy. I was being polite."

Makoto's shrug went unseen, "But I don't care."

"Well, I do care." Her shoulder's were ridged.

Makoto snorted her annoyance, "It's not unnatural to be nude you know. I wasn't born with clothes on. If I had, now that would have been unnatural. This, however, is completely normal."

Ami still kept her back towards her, so Makoto tried walking around her. Ami just looked elsewhere and turned away. Makoto laughed, "You Mercurians are _strange_."

Ami visibly stiffened. "We are not strange," she said defensively, "Our cultures are just different."

"Obviously," Makoto said, amused. When Ami gave no sign of relenting, Makoto threw up her hands in defeat. She didn't understand it, but what Ami said about cultures must be true. Michiru certainly hadn't acted this way...Makoto put a hand to her head when a sudden sensation shot through it. It wasn't anything painful. Just a powerful, foreign feeling. Like she'd suddenly remembered something and just as suddenly it was gone, fading away all at once. This had happened before, only not so often as it had been lately. It was like someone else's memory was in her head, but she couldn't look at it. The key to it always seemed to have something to do with Michiru. _'I need to talk to that woman about this. She's the one who triggers the damn things.'_

She retrieved her silk shirt from the bed, but threw the pants onto the nearby chair. She felt uneasy and frustrated now. Wanting a change of topic fast, she said the first thing that came to mind. "Why is your hair blue?" She pulled the shirt on and began buttoning it. The emerald silk was pleasantly cool against her warm skin.

Ami's shoulders relaxed, but barely. "Why is yours brown?" She asked, with some sarcasm to her voice. They were both silent for a moment, and Makoto allowed herself a half smile as she finished buttoning up her shirt.

Ami corrected herself quickly. "Um, I apologize. That was terribly rude of me."

"No it wasn't." Makoto commended her. "I deserve it. Tact isn't my forte." It was bothering her, not to be able to see Ami's expressions. Makoto liked the various reactions she could get out of the woman. They were amusing and new to her. "I'm done dressing now, you can turn around." The shirt she wore came down mid thigh, so she figured it would be okay.

Ami faced her, realized that Makoto wasn't wearing the bottom half of her night clothes and looked at the ground. "It is good to see that you will not be wandering around the Palace tonight, I guess."

"Nope, I won't be, so don't worry. In the morning you will not hear anything of a half naked Jovian meandering about the Palace."

Ami arched one eyebrow, looking up again, "I'm sure that it would not be any more strange than hearing about a Venusian running through the Palace with a half naked Martian, shouting curses at the top of her lungs, in pursuit." Ami laughed lightly recalling the memory.

Makoto could only half smile at the memory that she did not share, ignoring the familiar feeling that stirred withing her. A gloominess that was always on the boarder of her being.

"Of course, that was a long time ago, when we were but children." Her attention was back on the floor.

Makoto tilted her head. _'Children, eh?'_ She couldn't even remember a time when she'd ever considered herself a child. Had she ever known such care-free days? She studied Ami's lowered face, taking note of how soft and delicate her features were. Her skin was smooth and white. A large contrast to her own tanned skin, of which bore various scars that she had acquired from her rough life throughout the years. _'As different outside as we are within most likely.' _She wondered why she felt so intrigued by this Mercurian. Ami should have been no different from any other person here on the moon, but she _was_ different, completely so from Makoto herself. Earlier in the evening, even wearing the mask, Ami had caught Makoto's attention.

'_It was that hair. The other Mercurians didn't have hair like that. Maybe it's because she's royalty.' _Makoto thought, eyes still on AmiDiscovering Ami's identity had been a shock. Ami was not quite the woman Makoto had imagined to be the princess of Mercury. She'd thought her to be weak, but now she was starting to have doubts. Also, her image of Ami hadn't been so...well, innocent. Was this disappointment that she was feeling now? Was she so unsatisfied because this Ami didn't turn out to be a selfish, conniving woman? _'I expected to be greeted with more hostility, or something, anything but this.' _Makoto wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not yet.

It occurred to her that she was now in Ami's debt. She owed her now. Makoto didn't much like owing anyone anything. Even so, this was a fact, and she'd need to return the favor. Suddenly she remembered what Michiru said that night, and realized that the artist owed her too. Double that now, if the kiss counted as anything. Why would she do that? And why was Makoto so agitated that she'd mentioned it in front of the other princesses? This should be nothing to worry over. Makoto had no excuse for her own cowardliness in the face of such a small action. What could a kiss change? Such a stupid, simple little thing...but she couldn't help but feel that she had actually experienced that same moment once before. _'Well, that's dumb. I think I'd remember something like that.' _Thinking back to the time on the balcony, she could feel her face heat up. _'Why am I even bothering with this? It's better to forget!'_

A light cough brought her attention back to Ami. "I think that I had better be off to bed now, and you as well." She squinted at Makoto in the dim light, "You look somewhat pale, it is best that you get into bed right away. The more rest you get, the better you will feel."

"Hm." Makoto nodded, wondering if she could sleep, with all these thoughts floating around in her mind. She looked around for her boots, and, spotting them near the end of the bed, went over to pick them up. Searching them thoroughly, she was confused when she couldn't find what she'd been looking for.

"Are you looking for this by any chance?" Ami extended her hand toward Makoto, in it rested her dagger.

Makoto nodded, taking the blade from the small hands that seemed to have never held its like.

The rest of your clothes were taken to be cleaned. You will get them back some time tomorrow.

"Doesn't matter. I won't be wearing those again any time soon." Makoto fell into the bed, tucking dagger underneath the pillow there. Ami watched her with a passive expression that Makoto couldn't read. Lying back, she felt relaxed, and ignored the slight tinge of pain in her arm. She wasn't used to taking orders, and if her arm felt better tomorrow, she'd be up when she was ready. Ami was just doing her job, and that was good and all, but Makoto had things to do, and something little like this couldn't get in the way." Her eye lids felt heavy as she watched Ami gather the small pile she'd created from the table. She blew out most of the candles in the room, except for one. Ami turned when she got to the door and, holding it open, she regarded Makoto for a long moment. "Goodnight Makoto, I do hope you feel better tomorrow."

Makoto turned over in the bed, facing the wall. "Goodnight Lady Mercury."

Ami hesitated in the doorway for a moment, then, with a small smile and nod of her head, she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She was kind of disappointed that Makoto hadn't used her name, but her title instead. _'Oh well, all in good time I suppose. Besides, it matters not what she calls me, as long as she gets better.'_ Ami rolled her head from side to side, and continued down the corridor to the stairs that would take her to the floor that her room was on. Her stiff muscles ached for a warm bath, and she couldn't wait to crawl into bed. _'I will definitely be sleeping in today.'_

_Continued..._


	13. Chapter 12: Memories

Thanks for the reviews guys. They're what pushed me to get this chapter out faster than usual. It seems that people are still "discovering" this story. I hope that my summary is alright, and that the M rating and/ or category choices aren't hindering those who might like it from finding it. Though, this is the only site that I've posted it on so far. Maybe that's half of the reason (Advertising? Lol)? As always, I apologize for any grammar mistakes or typos you might find. I think that I've edited this one as thoroughly as I can, but then again, it is almost 2 am. (P.S. -Thanks for the e-mails, and even the livejournal review.)

-_ Aldsvider_

**Chapter 12: Memories**

The Palace halls were deserted by this time of night. Ami usually liked walking through the Palace at night, in the silence of the evening, but she was just too tired to enjoy the atmosphere tonight, or lack there of. With all that had happened earlier, she was going to need a few days to adjust. Seeing those men, lying there on the floor beneath the Harpy, mangled almost beyond recognition, was not something one got over within hours. Ami had never seen such a sight in her life. How could the creature just kill like that? She let a few tears trail their way down her cheeks for those men. Not knowing them didn't dull the pain that filled her heart. They must have had families that cared for them. Loved ones that would miss them dearly.

A sound echoed in the hall, startling her momentarily. It sounded like a door closing. Peering into the dark corridor, however, she couldn't see much. It was unusually dark in this part of the Palace. Usually all of the candles on this hall would be lit, but tonight most of them had gone out completely. Well, it was expected, she supposed, for some things to go unnoticed after such an event. She knew that a few things had slipped her own mind in the wake of all that had happened. Walking forward, she steeled herself to walk into the darkness of the hall. Ami wasn't exactly afraid of the dark, but tonight was different. The safety of the Palace had been compromised and her imagination was getting the best of her. She took one step forward, and another. Her steps were muffled by the carpet running down the center of the hall. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness slowly and she could just see the outline of the suites of armor set into tall alcoves lining the walls. Tapestries, their depictions unclear, hung as dark shapes before her. Her heart beat fast, her eyes darting around. At one point she thought she saw one of the suites of armor move. _'Can't be Ami, it's just your imagination.' _She stopped and looked at the dark shape, her eyes finding the outline odd. She stepped closer, _'I'm not afraid of some pile of inanimate metal.' _She gritted her teeth, squinting. Her eyes blurred with sleep, and she reached up to rub them quickly, clearing them so that she could take another look at the armor. When she finally looked back up, her eyes met complete darkness. All of the candles in the hall were now out. Her breath hitched as she felt the air in the hall move around her. Was there someone here with her?

Suddenly, something grabbed her arm and pulled her forward with a jerk. Two hands landed on her shoulders as she yelped in fear. "BOO!" came a low voice next to her ear. She froze for a second, her heart beating so fast that she thought it might jump right out of her chest. She was now breathing hard and sweating with panic. As realization washed over her, she gritted her teeth, in anger this time.

"Minako!" She said fiercely, her voice stilted. She pushed the woman back, away from her, hearing a low '_mfph_' as the blonde hit the wall, then a body audibly met the floor. She rushed forward in the darkness. "Mina! I'm so sorry, I didn't think that I'd pushed you that hard, nor that we were that close to the wall. Where are you?" She reached out feeling for her, finally Ami managed to find Minako and help her up. She couldn't see much in the dark, but Minako seemed to be fine.

"Stay right here okay," Minako's voice came from in front of her. "And keep your voice down."

"Alright," she replied as she felt Minako move away from her. She could see that even Minako's hair was black in the darkness of the hall. Her form disappeared completely from her sight for a few moments, she could hear the blonde moving about the hall and she seemed to be mumbling to herself about something. Then a light appeared a little ways from Ami, to her right. She turned looking down the hall to where Minako stood. The blonde was grinning, holding a lit candle.

She marched over to Minako, frowning. "Minako, if you ever do that again, so help me I'll– "

"Oh Ami, thank you for giving me another priceless moment." She was laughing lowly. "I'll never forget that reaction for as long as I live. It was even better than the last time that I scared you." She continued laughing, trying not to be too loud.

Ami crossed her arms. "That wasn't very funny Minako, not after what's happened tonight. I told you earlier that this isn't the time for playing." She sighed knowing that it was no use. "And anyway, I don't even remember when you've ever scared me before. I think that this is a first. You're usually jumping out at Rei, not me."

Minako scratched the back of her head, "Really? You don't remember?" Her laugh turned slightly nervous, "Ah well, you must not remember because you were so young."

Ami looked thoughtful, "Yes, I guess you're right. I can't keep up with all of your antics, but I'm sure that I'll remember this one."

"As you should," Minako smiled, looking relieved, "I'd be quite hurt if you forgot about this one. It has been one of my finest moments."

"I am honored," Ami said sarcastically as they began to walk down the hall.

"My room is right here, so why don't you take the candle, okay?"

Ami looked at her suspiciously, accepting the proffered candle, "No more pranks tonight, and no following me in the darkness either."

"Right, right, I'll be good. It's a promise," she went to go, then stopped, "Ah, hey Ami, tell you what. Don't mention anything about me scaring you to Rei, and I won't mention how you yipped like a little puppy."

Ami blushed, "I do not _yip_," she stated indignantly.

"Riiight," Minako teased, "I won't tell anybody how I scared you, so don't worry."

"Fine," Ami said, as she walked off down the corridor alone.

She was practically dead on her feet now. She had to get to her bed where she could sleep all of this away. After climbing a winding stairway, she finally reached the floor on which she would find her room. This was the uppermost floor and contained both the Jovian and Mercurian families. On another floor, below, were the families of Mars and Venus. Usagi's room was on the floor between the two. If, at any time, Usagi was in danger, the enemy would have to go through her guardians, no matter whether they came from above or below. The other families, including the outer planet guardians were situated in other wings of the Palace.

Ami disdained climbing the stairs tonight, and let out an exhausted sigh as she trudged down the hall. She passed an open air courtyard and paused to feel the night air on her skin. Looking ahead of her, she noticed which hall she was on. If she turned to the left, it would take her to her room. However, she kept walking straight, into a section of the Palace that had not been in use for years. One that she hadn't been to in a long time...

_Thirteen years earlier_

She was lost again. Looking around, the colors of emerald and gold met her eyes. She stopped in front of an ornate door, the symbol of Jupiter etched into its center. _'It seems that I've wondered into the Jovian wing,' _her five year old mind surmised. _'I guess I should have taken a left back there after all.' _She shifted the stack of books she was carrying, and reached up to pull her overly large hood back from her eyes. She jerked in surprise at the sound of footsteps behind her. As a result, the books went tumbling to the ground, the noise loud in the hall.

"Ah," her little voice sounded in disappointment, as she went to her knees trying to gather the books quickly. At this late hour, it would be rude to wake anyone up by being so clumsy. She should have paid more attention to the time and returned from the library earlier. The footsteps behind her came to a halt, and an arm appeared around her, picking up one of the books. She turned around, a few books already in her arms. Ami wasn't sure who she'd expected to see. A guard maybe, or an adult ready to scold her for being up so late. Instead, her eyes met those of an older girl. She was much taller than Ami, and it was hard to tell how much older she may be. Her green eyes were what caught Ami's attention. She'd never seen eyes like these before. '_This must be a Jovian_,' she thought, watching the girl bend down before her, and begin picking up the books.

She was wearing green night clothes. Her brown, shoulder length hair kept falling into her face, obstructing her view. She pushed it back with one hand, saying something in a foreign tongue. After she gathered all of the books off of the floor, she made no move to give them to Ami. Instead, she stood and said something in that foreign language again. Ami looked at her questioningly. When Ami didn't respond, the girl looked thoughtful.

"Follow," she motioned to Ami. The word was in the common tongue, though a bit hard to understand with her accent. Ami walked after the girl as she took off down the corridor. Seeing that Ami was having a hard time keeping up, the girl slowed her pace.

"What is your name?" Ami asked.

The girl didn't respond, but donned a frustrated look and continued to walk. Ami frowned. '_She doesn't understand me?_' This was new to Ami. She didn't know how to communicate with someone who didn't understand her language. What was she supposed to do?

She pointed to herself and looked over at the girl. "Ami." She said clearly.

The girl arched one eyebrow, and pointed at herself in return, "Makoto," she smiled a little and continued walking. Ami smiled as well, following after her, gripping the books she still held against her chest.

They took the hall that Ami should have originally taken and headed to the end, passing her parents' room and several others along the way. They finally came to a tall white door, with the symbol of Mercury etched in its center, just like the other doors on the hall. Makoto tried the handle and pushed it open easily. Ami went ahead into the room, which was lit by several low burning oil lamps. The servants must have already been in to check for her. They would come back shortly to check again, but Ami figured that she would be in bed by then.

Makoto went over to the bed and set the books down, her eyes taking in the room as she went. The room was done in the royal colors of Mercury. Blue and Silver. It was a little dark inside, but Ami liked it that way. She usually just read by the light of a lamp or candle anyway. Having put the books on the bed, Makoto turned to leave.

Ami went after her, stopping her at the doorway. "Thank you," she said, hoping the girl would understand her. Makoto gave her that same confused look. Ami found herself wishing that she knew Makoto's language. Maybe then she'd be able to talk to her. Find out more about her. She didn't seem to know the common tongue well enough for conversation. Ami wanted her to stay, but why? They couldn't talk, so there was no reason for her to stay.

She looked up at Makoto again. "I know. I'll learn your language, then I'll be able to talk to you. Some day we'll talk, okay?" She smiled at Makoto, who now looked sad for some reason. Ami didn't want her to be sad. Leaning forward quickly, Ami rapped her arms around the taller girl's waste, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Makoto."

Makoto tensed slightly at first, but then relaxed, hugging the small girl back awkwardly. When Ami finally let go, Makoto tousled her hair and opened the door. Just before she closed it, she looked in at Ami, giving her a slight wave, "Goodnight," she said in her strange dialect.

Ami waved back as the door closed, leaving her alone in the room. She went to bed that night, thinking of how she would go back to the library the next day and find books on the Jovian language. The next time she saw Makoto, she wanted to be able to better communicate with the older girl.

Fate, however, would see to it that Ami did not meet Makoto again for a very long time. Ami would learn the Jovian language and after that, many other languages would follow. Forgetting her original purpose, she continued to live in her mind, absorbed in the world of her books once again. Fate intervened several times into Ami's world, none for the better. Ami was easily hurt, but her strong will helped her get through those hard times. Her past has shaped her, as has Makoto's. And now, Fate would have Ami meet Makoto once again.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ami stared blankly at the door before her. She was in front of her own door now. The symbol of Mercury shining in the dim lamp light. The memory had come to her out of no where. She'd totally forgotten the encounter. '_So, I've met her before. I bet that she doesn't even remember_.'

She hardly remembered making it back here to her door, it was more like Makoto had brought her here again, from in front of the room that must have been hers. She looked back down the hall one last time, then, turning the handle on her door, she went in. The room was the same as it had been back then, nothing changed much. Maybe the sheets were a little different, and the curtains as well, but otherwise, everything was in the same place.

She blew at the bangs on her forehead. '_How nostalgic._' Dragging her feet slightly, she moved into the room, and fell onto her bed, letting out a breath of exhaustion. She'd have to get back up and change into her night clothes, but for now she just lay there. That is, until she caught sight of what was sitting on the table next to her bed.

"Wow," She breathed in amazement, sitting up slowly. A large vase of the bluest roses that she had ever seen sat before her. Bluest? Well, she'd never actually seen blue roses before. Never even knew that they existed. She could swear that they were glowing in the candle light. "Magnificant." she stood, looking them over thoroughly, feeling herself blush as she did so. They were just so beautiful, she couldn't take her eyes off of them. She noticed a small envelop lying on the table as well. Picking it up and turning it over, she smiled upon seeing the royal crest of Jupiter emblazoned across the front. She remembered what Minako had said to Makoto earlier that evening and repeated it to herself, "They're simply beautiful." '_So that's why Minako was so excited about her gift. I can understand why. I'm almost tempted to go back and thank her too._'

She bent forward, inhaling their wonderful scent. '_And they smell delightful_.' If possible, her smile grew. '_Well, I'll surely thank her tomorrow_.'

She remembered the last time that someone had given her roses, and her smile faltered momentarily. She was happy at the time, but the events that followed were not very pleasant. They were memories that she did not wish to remember. Especially now, of all times and all nights. She pushed those memories back, moving away from the roses and to her wardrobe, where she changed her clothes for bed. When, finally, she lay down to sleep, the last thing that her eyes saw, before she fell fast into a peaceful slumber, were those beautiful blue roses, that seemed to shine even in the dark.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Rei sat on her bed contemplating. She'd been sitting there for quite a while. Glancing at the object in her hand, and then across the room. '_Fool, make up your mind now, else she'll be asleep soon, if she isn't already!_' She made a frustrated sound, gripping the object tightly. She felt stupid. What made her think that Minako would want this? It didn't even suite her at all. Rei had picked it out based on her own taste, and couldn't imagine how she let herself do that. Now Minako probably hated her for several different reasons, and not that she had made any attempt to correct that. Despite all of the endless pranks and annoyances, Minako was a good friend, and Rei wanted to show her that. However, she couldn't find one single thing that the Princess of Venus needed. She had everything already. What could Rei give her?

Looking down at the object once more, she sighed tiredly and made up her mind. '_I'll give it to her anyway. Better this than nothing. If she'll even accept it._'

Getting up from the bed, she didn't walk to the door. Instead, she went to the back of her room, to a large tapestry that hung from the ceiling to the floor. Pulling it back, she felt for something. Her hand finally felt the cold handle of the door she was looking for. Unlocking it, she pushed it forward, walking into the narrow corridor beyond. It was a bit cold in the narrow space. She held out her hand, summoning a small flame to light her path through the darkness. If memory served her correctly, it should be two right turns, then the door on the left. She nodded to herself and proceeded through the darkness. These secret corridors were made for quick escapes, and not many knew of them, save for a few of the guardians and the Queen herself. They were only to be implemented in emergencies usually, but Minako made a point of abusing them regularly. Thus, most of them were left locked. After a bit of walking, and some right turns, she finally came to the end of her short journey. Stumbling in the darkness, she paused, hoping no one in the other rooms may have heard her. Hearing nothing, she reached her target. Light could be seen at the bottom of the door, barely visible because of the tapestry that hung on the other side.

She tapped lightly on the door, listening for movement on the other side. She heard footsteps and then a door opened, though not the one that she stood before. Minako must have assumed that someone was at her door. She heard a whisper, then more footsteps. This time coming in her direction. She stepped to the side as the door opened. The light from the room hurt her eyes, and she squinted against it. Minako stood there, smirking at her.

"What?" Rei asked.

"Since when do you use these passages? Or am I to assume that this is an emergency?" She arched one eyebrow.

"Well, it's not an emergency. But, well...never mind." She actually felt relieved that Mina was turning her away, but her voice shook just a little regardless. Minako's expression changed, and she smiled at Rei.

"I'm just playing with you. Get in here already." She moved aside to let Rei in.

Once in the room, Rei took in its familiar appearance. It was decorated in gold and white, thus making it quite a bright room. Rei's own room was darker. Deep shades of red, and only the smallest amounts of silver were what greeted one upon entering it. But she liked in that way. Minako's room matched her personality nicely. Bright, warm, and beautiful. Minako's full canopy bed had sheets of white, and gold drapes that puddled onto the floor around it. Inside, at the head, two candles burned brightly in sconces on the wall, illuminating it further. It was a very elegant and romantic room. Rei felt out of place in her crimson bed clothes, her dark figure contrasting greatly with her surroundings. She put her hands behind her back, wishing she had pockets, so that she could stuff the small object in one of them. Minako noticed her fidgeting.

"Is something wrong, Rei?" She asked, coming closer to the dark-haired woman. Rei felt Minako take hold of her arm and guide her. She let herself be pulled by Minako, who took her over to the bed to sit down.

"Well," Rei started, her voice rough. She coughed, clearing her throat, while noting how soft the bed beneath her was. Just as soft as the hand on her arm, and the eyes that looked upon her with worry. "I-I thought that you might be angry with me."

Minako looked surprised, "Rei, why would I be angry with you? Maybe a little annoyed, but that blows over fast. You should know me well enough by now." She smiled in conclusion.

"I'm talking about the fact that I didn't leave you a gift, Mina."

Minako rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid. What kind of friend would I be if I got mad about something like that? Did you like the quiver by the way?"

Rei's eyes lit up, "Of course! It's wonderful. I never imagined that red and gold could look that good together."

Minako gave a satisfied smile, "I did."

Rei nodded, but then her frown returned, "Which is why I feel bad about this." She extended her right hand in front of Minako. In it she held a red ribbon. It was made of some of the finest silk imported from Earth that Rei could find. There was no unique design about it at all, but for the simple fact that it shown a brilliant red in the light of the room. Minako took it from her hand, and Rei didn't look at her face. She didn't want to see the disappointment there.

Silence descended upon the room for what seemed an eternity to Rei.

"It's wonderful Rei," came Minako's excited voice from beside her.

"What?" Was Rei's startled reply.

"I love it! Why would you feel bad about giving this to me? Do you see anything of its like in this room?"

Rei cast her eyes around again, "No, that's why I thought that you wouldn't like it. You see, I liked it, that's why I got it for you."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Minako stated firmly. " If you like it, then it's even better."

"But it's just a ribbon," Rei said stubbornly.

"One that I don't have, and that you are giving me."

"What will you do with it though?"

"I'll find something, don't worry."

"Still, it's just a– " Rei started, but was cut off when Minako lunged forward, hugging her tightly.

"Will you just shut up already Rei. You did good, and I'm very grateful." Minako pulled back, looking at Rei. Her arms still around Rei's shoulders.

Rei smiled, "Then I'm glad that you like it."

"You sound very relieved. Were you really that worried?" Minako's voice was gentle, and she brushed back some of Rei's bangs with one hand just as gently a she said her words. Rei felt her face heat up at the contact.

"Yeah," she managed, though her ability to speak was leaving her for some unknown reason. "You were acting funny earlier." She felt Minako's leg move against her own. It was still there from Minako's sudden hug, and she hadn't seen fit to move back away from Rei yet. It was warm, in fact Rei felt very warm just being near Minako like this. Was Minako even closer now?

"Me? Acting funny? I thought I was always funny." A sly smile crossed over Minako's face as she leaned forward, touching her forehead to Rei's. Rei could feel Minako's sweet breath against her face, her thumb was moving slowly against the skin of her neck. Rei trembled at the feeling. '_What's wrong with me?_' Minako was moving closer to her, the warmth building inside Rei grew as she neared. Rei became aware of the fact that her own hands were on Minako's waste, not moving. When did they get there? Once she realized this fact, she had the sudden urge to move them. The strange thing, though, was that she wasn't wanting to move them away, but in a totally different direction. Up? Down? Either way, she just wanted to experience the feel of the silken gown moving against Minako's wonderfully soft skin. Her hands flexed compulsively at the thought and she froze. Minako was very close now, the breath between them seemed like one. '_What am I doing_?' She closed her eyes as she waited for something. Anything. She most definately wasn't waiting for the loud clang that resounded outside of the room. It was so surprising that her eyes shot open and she sprang back from Minako. She took one look at the blonde and then ran for the door, swinging it open wildly.

"Who's there!" She growled into the darkness outside. '_When did it get so dark out here?_' A sound on the floor to her right drew her attention. A small boy was propping himself up with one hand, and rubbing his head with the other. He caught sight of her and his eyes looked frightened.

"I'm so sorry my Lady," he rolled into a bowing position. "The corridor was dark, so someone sent for me to light the candles. I didn't mean to wake thee." Rei saw the over-turned wooden bucket that he was using as a makeshift stool, and the brass candle holder laying on the floor beside him. She brought a hand up to rub her own head.

"Boy," she snapped. He stood immediately, fear still in his eyes. She softened her gaze on him. "Go to bed, alright." She forced a smiled.

"B-but," he looked down the dark corridor, "the candles my Lady."

Rei nodded, then snapped her fingers. The entire hall was illuminated as every candle ignited at once. "There, that's better then."

The boy grinned in delight, looking very excited at witnessing such a demonstration of power first hand. Rei tilted her head, "Off to bed with you now."

The boy bowed to her, and padded off down the hall quickly, taking his bucket with him. Rei sighed and turned around, only to come face to face with Minako. "That was great Rei!" She clapped excitedly. Rei looked down and ducked around Minako.

"It's wasn't such a big deal."

Minako meandered over to sit on the bed once again.

"I better go get some rest now," Rei said hastily, backing away from the bed, towards the door at the back of the room.

"You probably should," said Minako, stretching out on the bed in her white gown, her hair cascading over the edge.

Rei ran into a chair that wasn't quite pushed under a nearby desk. She tripped over her feet and fell to her side on the white carpeted floor. Cursing, she scrambled up and finally made it to the tapestry. Pulling it back, Minako's voice stopped her. "Rei."

Rei looked over at the blonde, who was now lying on her stomach, hands propped under her chin. "Yes?"

"You're acting _funny_." Minako giggled, fingernails tapping her teeth.

Rei laughed lightly. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. See you in the morning, okay?"

Minako tilted her head, "Yeah, goodnight Rei. Sweet dreams."

Rei waved quickly and bolted out of the door and into the narrow passage. It was even colder now than it had been before, though she was sweating for some reason, and her heart was beating fast. '_What just happened? What was I about to do?_' She was very confused, and in her befuddled state of mind, she lost her way several times in the narrows passages. When she finally reached her own door and entered the room beyond, she went directly to bed. If she was lucky, sleep would claim her soon. Tomorrow she would sort this whole mess out during meditation. '_That is if I can even concentrate enough by then!_' she shouted in her mind. Putting a pillow over her head, she settled in, waiting for sleep to overcome her frazzled mind.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Does it really not bother you?" A musical voice echoed suddenly in the darkness of the room.

"I said that I'm not bothered, did I not?" A lower voice answered calmly.

"You wouldn't have reacted the way that you did, if it did not bother you..."

"Why are we discussing this now of all times?" The low voice was irritated.

"Because if I had said something before, you would have easily distracted me." A humorous tone was used.

"You think that I could not distract you now, Michiru?"

"Haruka..."

"Alright, ask what you will of me." Haruka's tall frame shifted beneath the covers of the bed to lean over the other woman. Her hair was damp with sweat and her eyes alight with playfulness. Her arms slid underneath her partner's smaller frame, holding her loosely.

Michiru looked up at Haruka, sincerity in her eyes. "Does it really not bother you? I won't give the memory back to her if it displeases you so."

Haruka frowned slightly. "It's not the memory that worries me at all. It's more of that fact that it would never have happened had I not been so stupid. It's just a reminder to me, that's all."

"I'm sorry." Michiru reached up to tuck Haruka's damp hair behind one ear, then letting her fingers trail down the side of her jaw and neck..

Haruka hushed Michiru with a finger to her lips. "I told you never to apologize for it. I don't own you, and I never did. It was my own fault for not seeing what I had, and for turning you away in such a state. Whatever you did after that is none of my concern. It is my punishment, if anything, and as it should be."

Michiru smiled. "Thank you Haruka, for understanding. I should apologize for tonight though."

"What about tonight?"

"I had to know how you felt about this, so I gouged your reaction by reminding you...by kissing her. I watched you while I danced you know. You were smiling all night, but your smile disappeared when I danced with her..."

Haruka looked surprised, then a bit sheepish. "Really?"

Michiru pulled her closer, "Really."

Haruka hugged her, the warmth of Michiru's smooth skin making her shudder once again, "If, after you give the memory back. If she wants you, then I will fight for you. I will not give you up so easily. Now that I hold you in my arms, I realize that there could be nothing more than this for me. I will pursue you for all eternity if I have to."

"Haruka I–"

"However," she interrupted before Michiru could stop her, "if somehow, you realize that she makes you happier than I could. If you want to go to her...then go. As long as you are happy, I care not what happens to me. It is your decision in the end." There was fear in Haruka's eyes as she spoke, but she did not pull back to let Michiru see.

Michiru stroked her back, trying to sooth the Uranian Princess. "Haruka, quit saying such foolish things." She pushed Haruka up slightly, so that she could look into her eyes. "You're afraid that I'll leave, aren't you? Do you think that I am so fickle as that? I chose you the moment that I saw you. Besides, it wasn't love that drove Makoto to respond to me. What I did with her, I did out of loneliness and despair," she laughed lightly, "and maybe even a little anger."

"I don't blame you. I hate that I made you feel that way." Haruka smiled sadly. "But I was afraid then too."

Michiru let her fingers slide into Haruka's hair, laying her arm across the woman's toned shoulder. "Most people fear things that are more powerful than they are. And love is a very powerful feeling."

"It makes me feel more powerful just being with you." Haruka said honestly, the truth reflecting in her eyes. Michiru smiled at the honesty there, the innocence.

Michiru nodded. "My feelings exactly." She pulled Haruka down to her, there lips meeting in a kiss that expressed those same feelings. Powerful and exciting. The intensity of it filling them both with longing and desire.

Haruka pulled away from her and smirked, the playfulness returning, "But still, I can't help being jealous you know."

Michiru arched one eyebrow, then her neck, as Haruka lowered her head, pressing her lips against the soft skin there. "I didn't think that you were capable of being jealous."

"Well, I'm capable of many things when I'm around you," she said, against Michiru's shoulder. Michiru could feel herself flush as Haruka's hands ventured their way across her skin. She mumbled something incoherent, and Haruka paused, "What was that? You'll have to speak more clearly," she teased.

"A-Aren't you tired?" She managed at last, her eyes closing in pleasure. She trembled under the tall woman's frame. Warm kisses were being placed delicately upon her stomach, and her heart pounded in her ears as she felt Haruka's sandy blonde hair inadvertently slide across her chest as she kissed her. Those hands were still wandering. They did something, Michiru's thoughts were so jumbled that she couldn't even begin to know what, but it made her moan in a way that she didn't think herself capable of, but then again, she was with Haruka. She smiled in delighted pleasure at the thought.

Haruka made her way back up Michiru's body slowly, her hands teasing more than her words ever could. "Ah, but does a priestess need such energy to worship her goddess throughout the night? Devoting herself so fully to such an act. So it is with me. I will worship you until you bid me to stop. For your very presence is a blessing upon this unworthy soul."

Michiru's voice was labored as she replied with humor, "Your honeyed words will not work on me as they do with others." Another heartfelt moan escaped her throat.

Haruka was suddenly above her, with Michiru's arms firmly pinned beneath her hands. Michiru's chest rose and fell with her heavy breathing. Sweat glazed her porcelain skin. Haruka's face was very close, and as her lips brushed ever so close to Michiru's, she whispered in the stillness of the moment, "Let's try something else then...shall we?"

_Continued..._


	14. Chapter 13: A Confrontation

Sorry that I couldn't update _The Nine Kingdoms _first like I said I would. After rereading the latest chapter, I found several things that I need to change and became a bit peeved with it. I hope to come back to it after I've finished my informative speech for class.

_-Aldsvider_

**Chapter 13: A Confrontation**

Makoto woke several times in the hours after Ami left her. During those moments she would lie awake in the silent darkness of the room, a dull ache along her arm, with jumbled thoughts running through her head. Fragmented dreams wove the nights events in a confusing pattern. When she tried to grasp things that she'd dreamt about only minutes before, the thoughts alluded her. Others lingered on the edge of her memory, keeping her from sleep. In one, she walked through a crowd of faceless people, but not completely faceless. Some of those faces she recognized. Music echoed in the distance and couples danced, as though unaware of her presence. Did they not see her? Then she was pulled away again. It was Michiru, like before. Though, she wasn't wearing the same dress from the ball that night. She was wearing a different one. They walked out onto the balcony, that suddenly was not the balcony, but her own room, back on Ganymede. Here they stopped, and Michiru kissed her. This time, though, was different from the balcony. This time Makoto knew what to do, if only for the fact that it was Michiru guiding her. She watched from within her own mind as she did something that she could not fathom. It wasn't anything unpleasant, nor was it totally unknown to her, but she'd never expected that she would carry out such actions. Surprising as it was, Makoto found it even more shocking when she pulled back and held, not Michiru, but the Princess of Mercury in her arms. Fear shot through her like lightning, followed by panic and a sensation akin to falling rapidly. Things blurred and she was jolting awake, her body tense and hot. She threw the covers off of herself and lay staring at the ceiling, letting the air in the room cool her skin. Makoto stayed that way for a few minutes until she finally relaxed, drifting back into sleep.

Finally, the usual dreams began. He was there with her in these dreams. The man she was destined to kill. The traitor who killed her parents. He'd come to them as an escort, an ally in service to the Queen. A General. Evidently the Queen did not know her subordinate as well as she should have. He was such a coward, using sly means and trickery to bring about her parents' end. Her father did not receive a warriors death, for he never got the chance to fight back. In her dreams she killed this man in many ways, over and over again, every night. One day, she would find him, and on that day, he would die by her hands. That was her only objective, and no one would get in the way.

Makoto did not know what time she awoke that morning, but she did know that her arm wasn't bothering her as much as it had yesterday, and that she wasn't going to stay in this room any longer than she needed to. Opening her eyes, she rolled onto her side and was alarmed to find someone sitting by the bed, silently watching her. They stared at one another for a moment or two before the other spoke.

"Feeling any better?" Michiru asked with a smile.

"Like new." Makoto answered.

"That's good."

There was silence again as Makoto watched Michiru, waiting for her to speak again. Michiru sat comfortably, her hands resting in her lap, a pleasant smile on her face. Makoto tried to remember her dream, looking hard at Michiru, but she couldn't conjure up any clear images. The blue-eyed guardian tilted her head in an amused fashion, looking inquiringly back at Makoto.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked, leaning forward to push some of Makoto's hair out of her face. It had come loose during the night and lay cascaded across the sheets and pillows, showing just how long it had gotten since the last time they'd met. At the touch, an image flashed through Makoto's mind, one of Michiru performing the same actions as she just had, only she was not beside the bed, but in it, hovering over Makoto with a totally different expression gracing her features. As the vision faded, Makoto sat up slowly, still staring at the woman before her. There was a question in her eyes.

"You weren't very talkative then either. You always wait for everyone else to speak. I'm sure that you have plenty to say. Why will you not let others know you?" Michiru let her hand fall away from Makoto's face. "I'll tell you why. You're afraid."

Makoto looked incredulously at Michiru now. "Afraid of what?" She croaked. "You? You act as if you know me. You stayed in my castle for a while, but that means nothing."

"I know you more than anyone does right now." Michiru stated seriously. "And it's your own fault. Because you were so afraid."

Makoto shook her head, "I've got no idea what you're talking about and, frankly, I don't care."

Michiru stood suddenly, anger flashing in her eyes, "Then remain ever the ignorant fool, Makoto. Always putting up that barrier and keeping people at arms length. Well, it's time to grow up. You are a spoiled, selfish, arrogant little girl who has had her way for the past thirteen years. You are weak. Weak of mind and heart."

Makoto opened her mouth to reply, but evidently could come up with nothing to fire back at the woman. Shutting her mouth, she ended up providing a cold glare as her only answer to Michiru's statements.

"But I have seen such potential in you, Makoto." Michiru's voice softened. "I've broken through your shell and seen what you spend every day trying to hide. You hold it back, not allowing it to interfere with your quest for vengeance."

Makoto looked shocked at that last part.

"Yes, you told me of your plans for revenge. You told me many things."

"What are you talking about? I've never told you anything." Makoto swore.

"I took your memory away from you."

"You what? How is that possible? And if it were, why would you do such a thing?"

"Because you told me to." Michiru said as she sat back down. "You were so distraught over certain...things, and we were not really ourselves. I guess we were both afraid."

"How much did you take away? I can't imagine anything that I'd allow to be erased from my memory."

Michiru gave an ironic sort of smile, as if she found her statement funny. "Only about a days worth of memories, when you add the hours up I guess. It's not really erased, and has been in your mind all along. I'm assuming that ever since you arrived on the moon, you've been having strange thoughts or memories. Maybe you even dreamed something odd?"

Makoto nodded.

"It would take several more months for you to totally regain your lost memories, for I made the time limit around a year or more, just in case, though I did not tell you this. I am not always in the safest of situations, and if I died before returning the memories, then you would never get them back." Michiru leaned forward on her knees. "Have you ever gone into a room, knowing that you came to that room to get something, but you can't remember what it was? Still, you know it was something that you needed. Then you go back to the place where the thought first struck you that you needed that particular thing, hoping that it might help you remember. So it is with your memories. It's like you are stepping back into that place where the thought first came to you. I am that place Makoto. You have been gradually remembering on your own. But I wonder if you'll still want those memories after they are returned."

"I want them back." Makoto said urgently. "I can't stand not knowing."

Michiru nodded. "I will give them back in time. Give it a week. You need to adjust to life here on the Moon, then I'll give you the memories back. I'm think that you can handle them now, and perhaps they will make your stay more interesting." Michiru smiled mysteriously.

Makoto was frowning. "The Moon, or Jupiter, it shouldn't matter. What could be so difficult for me to handle?"

"You certainly were distraught over a year ago, and I was fool enough to believe that I had done something wrong. Now I realize that neither of us did anything wrong. It is just what happens when you are left alone for so long. It breeds fear and despair." Michiru stood, pulling the chair back to the table.

"You puzzle me Michiru. Why are you here on the Moon?" Makoto stood as well, looking for her clothes.

"I was invited of course," she smiled.

"What race are you? I don't recognize your accent, though I wouldn't really know either way I guess."

"I am Neptunian."

"Really? I'd never met a Neptunian before, or a Mercurian...or a Martian..." she trailed off, thinking.

"Makoto, I think it is time I told you. You are not very observant, do you know that?"

Makoto drew her brows together in question. "Though some have said the same, it's usually quite hard to fool me."

Michiru grinned and bowed. "I am the heir to the throne of Neptune, and I would not exactly say that I was trying to fool you."

Staring in shock, it took Makoto a moment or two to find her words again. "Well I _feel_ like a fool! Why didn't you tell me before?" Makoto looked surprised and confused at the same time, but not angry as Michiru thought she might be.

"You never asked me if I was a princess. Everything I told you was the truth, I just left out some minor details."

"Minor? You call that _minor_? I fear the day that you rule then."

Michiru was at the door now, while Makoto was pulling on her boots, mumbling. "You should be more thorough in your questioning. Besides, it's not so different from your little escapade last night, so don't go berating me about it." Michiru replied to the mumbling.

Makoto held up a hand to silence Michiru. She was holding onto her boot with the other, part of her foot already in it, while she hopped with her booted one, trying to keep her balance. "Hush, just go."

"Do not be that way now, I was just-." Michiru started.

"Shoo, shoo, shoo," Makoto continued rapidly, not looking at her, pushing her foot into the boot and proceeding to tuck her pants into them.

Michiru laughed. "You are simply _adorable_ Makoto." She teased one last time.

"Begone already!" Makoto snapped. The shirt she'd thrown hit the door as it closed behind the amused Neptunian.

Michiru leaned against the door outside the hall, a grin on her face. Now she remembered why she was so charmed by Makoto. They were alike in many ways, Haruka and Makoto. They both had a charisma about them that could catch you off guard at times. You never knew what would come from either of them next. Both were also very dangerous, in that they could be extremely alluring. Of the two, though, Makoto was the greater threat when it came to down to it. She wasn't aware of her own attractiveness. There was an extreme sensuality about her, and it was completely unintentional. Michiru had let herself be ensnared once before by this disarming quality, but now she knew better. Haruka had that same charm, however, she could restrain it, for she knew how to use it to her advantage and when to keep it in check. Makoto was completely oblivious.

Michiru continued to grin as she made her way off down the corridor. She couldn't wait to see what havoc Makoto might unknowingly create here on the Moon.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Makoto made her way down to the ship, hoping that they had not started anything without her. She felt fine now, not sick like she had last night, and her arm wasn't aching as much. It was more like her head was aching from all the complicated thoughts that she was having. The dreams bothered her, and everything that Michiru had told her in general bothered her. And when she reached the Ship, the fact that everything looked like it had been done already bothered her even more.

"Dammit," she said through clenched teeth. She went onboard to see if her observation was correct. It was. "Dammit," she said again, upon exiting the ship. She made her way back to the Palace, wondering where she should go next. She wanted to find Boarder or someone she knew. Makoto walked through the Palace, passing the occasional servant or guard. She came to a stop at an intersection in the hallway she'd been walking down. Looking from right to left, and straight ahead, she couldn't decide which direction to take.

"Place is like a damn maze," she grumbled lowly in the silent corridor. Finally, making up her mind, she chose to go right, rather than left or ahead. A while later, she didn't want to admit that she might be lost, but it was something she knew in the back of her mind. The halls she walked down now were more rustic and old. No tapestries adorned them, nor was there carpet down their length. She trudged onward, her footsteps echoing against the stone around her, the air cool on her skin. She breathed in deep, inhaling a concoction of steel, leather and oil, among other familiar smells in the air. She hastened her steps, recognizing the scents that assaulted her nose. They made her yearn for home, and her body ached for what might await her at the end of this hall. Sounds of barked orders and the clanging of steel reached her ears as she strode forward, finally coming to the end of the long hall. What greeted her brought a smile to her haggard features. It was a large, open area outside the white-stone walls of the Palace. A training field. Just saying the area was large would not do it justice. It was at least five or six times as big as her own field back on Ganymede. She glanced around, realizing that she was probably behind the Palace now. Makoto was impressed as she even noted that, in the center of the field there was a perfectly circular pool that had to be at least around eighty to ninety feet in diameter. The same white stones encircled its perimeter. Then she noticed that the field was covered in grass, where her's was hard packed dirt. She shook her head, unbelieving, as she realized how superior this setting was to her own back home.

Makoto walked forward into one of the stone archways, leaning against a pillar there that supported the overhang that wrapped around in a 'U' shape on the outer walls of the Palace here. There were several doors diagonal to her right and left, and looking up, she saw that there were many windows and balconies high above the practice field. She found herself wondering idly if any of the rooms on her hall were at the back of the Palace. She wasn't even sure where her room was come to think of it. She'd been escorted there by a frantic servant the night before and hadn't really been paying attention to directions, and she was surprised that she'd been able to find the Great Hall the night before. Still thinking, she watched the figures on the field moving in tandem, obeying the orders they were being given. It was a fairly small group of men and women. All soldiers. Makoto watched more avidly, catching every error, every slip each one of them made in their drills. This wasn't training, and she wasn't impressed with the one giving orders. Her eyes narrowed, looking at their conductor, a General she deduced by his uniform. One who wasn't paying much mind to them in the least as he half-heartedly called the orders out, casting his gaze around the field and looking distracted. The man was tall, but not as tall as Makoto. His blonde hair was bound at the nape of his neck, barely long enough to be tied back.. He was a beautiful man, who looked as if he had never seen a battle in his youthful life. Eyes lazy and face expressionless. He reminded her of someone. Someone she hated.

Movement to her left caught Makoto's attention and she drew her gaze from the man she instantly disliked to another. This man strode confidently across the yard, coming up behind the smaller man, for he towered over the General. His hair was a sandy blonde to the General's gold. From her position, Makoto could not hear the words being exchanged so, curiosity getting the best of her, she moved as not to draw attention to herself, slowly and silently passing each pillar until she was at a respectable enough distance to eavesdrop. No one noticed her as she leaned against a new pillar, just under the shadow of the overhang.

"This is the last time I leave things in your hands, Jadeite. This is not training." The tall blonde's voice was calm and smooth, but his disappointment was apparent. Makoto nodded in agreement with his words, liking the man already. Then something occurred to her. If he was leaving something in the hands of the General, then he himself must be of some high rank. She listened intently as the smaller man replied.

"If your hands were not otherwise occupied, maybe you could take it into your own, rather than leaving it in mine."

The tall blonde was not pleased with this statement. "It would do you good to mind your own business, and concentrate more on improving your half-ass performance. You're supposed to be instructing them properly, but you look as if you could care less. You got this position by blood inheritance, not by merit, and I have never forgotten that. I've given you plenty of damn chances to prove me wrong. Prove that you _can_ do this job, but you disappoint me more with each passing day. You are no General of mine." His voice was cutting, causing the smaller man to blanch and look away. He opened his mouth several times to say something, but seemed to rethink each thing, and in the end, said nothing. He glanced back at the soldiers who, during their exchange, had come to a halt in their drills. Donning an angry expression, he bowed shortly to his superior and stormed from the field, glaring ahead of him, not looking back. Makoto flinched at the slamming of the hard wood door that the General disappeared through. She was glad to see him go and brought her attention back to the tall blonde who was now calling out orders to the formerly idle soldiers. They now snapped to attention, all bowing in unison to the one before them.

"Good, good," the blonde smiled at them all. "Now, let's get back to work, shall we." From that point on, Makoto observed their drills. Every mistake she noted, was also caught by the other man. Nothing got past his attention, and he even noticed errors that Makoto hadn't. She found her respect for the man growing with each passing minute. His voice was firm as he ordered them, his stride easy, and his lithe form radiated power as he demonstrated moves with his sword. A scimitar, her mind registered. Hold on. Images from the night before flashed through her memory. The man who had engaged the Harpy with her had wielded a scimitar. The same man who had pulled her roughly from Michiru, and might have challenged her had Michiru not stepped in. She looked closer at his face, and when he turned, his profile cleared any doubt from her mind. It was him. Haruka, Michiru had called him. Makoto's feelings were mixed in that she wasn't sure if the man was still angry with her, and she didn't know if she would really care if he was or not.

Roughly an hour had passed before they were done with their drills. They were instructed to break off into pairs and practice for a few minutes while the blonde went back into the Palace to fetch something. They did as they were told, and Makoto waited, as they did, for the blonde's return. When Haruka did come back, he was holding a leather ball about twice the size of his hand. He tossed it up and down, catching it with one hand before him. Making his way over to the men and women he'd left moments before, he shouted a new command. "Alright then, are you all ready to play?" An affirmative shout came from them all as they cheered and smiled at Haruka, chatting among themselves suddenly and forming into two groups. Makoto wondered what they were about to do and as Haruka looked between the two groups, confusion passed over his face. "It seems that we are short one person today, it is an uneven match."

One of the men replied, "It is always an uneven match when you play!" The others laughed as he continued, "you should be counted as five people!" Haruka smiled at the comment, but neither agreed nor disagreed with him. Makoto leaned her head against the pillar, still wanting to know what was going on.

Suddenly, Haruka turned on his heal and faced the spot Makoto was standing in. Makoto was surprised when the blonde's eyes locked with her own. A roguish grin spread across his hansom face. "Well, well, are you just going to stand there and watch all day?" He asked. "Care to join us in our game?" The others, behind Haruka, looked on in confusion, probably wondering who he was talking to. When Makoto stepped from beneath the overhang and onto the field they looked at each other, surprised, then they looked between their leader and the newcomer. Makoto felt their eyes on her and it made her a bit nervous, but she tried not to show it. Besides, she was more intent on talking with Haruka. She walked the distance between them, stopping before the taller man. Taller, yes, but not by much. Makoto looked down at the ball that Haruka held, and then around at the others, her eyes finally landing back on Haruka..

"What do you want me to do?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ami sighed in exasperation as she walked from the ship back to the Palace. She had been sure that Makoto might be there, but it had turned out that the brunette was nowhere to be found. This afternoon, when Ami had awoken, she went to check on Makoto to see how she was doing. The Jovian should have been abed, like Ami had instructed her, but no, there was no one in the room when she'd arrived. From there she had checked the kitchens, deducing that maybe Makoto had gotten hungry, but again, there was no Jovian Princess there. Neither was she in her appointed room, nor any of the others in the Jovian wing of the Palace. She found the woman called Boarder, hoping that she might know of Makoto's whereabouts, but she was just as stumped as Ami. Boarder had given her one final suggestion before going to check the towers of the Palace, wanting to help Ami. She'd said to check the ship, and then all of the training areas, for Makoto usually practiced her swordplay in the evenings. And it was approaching evening now, as Ami made her way down the corridors to where she knew the Palace's largest training field was. She knew exactly where it was because she walked this path nightly to get there. She had training of her own to do each night that kept her in shape. She couldn't read all of the time after all.

As Ami walked on, she began to notice how busy this hall seemed to be. It was quite unnatural for the time of day. Usually, only soldiers were down here moving about. However, there were more people coming and going past her than she'd ever witnessed in this area. Ami hastened her steps when the sounds up ahead reached her. It sounded like a crowd of people yelling. The words were not discernable to her, but as she neared, she could make out that they were cheering. The light grew brighter in her progress, her footsteps quick on the hard stone of the floor. Her breath was coming fast by the time she finally exited the Palace. Traversing the soft ground, her eyes took in the sight before her. There was a large group of people, some of them soldiers, others were servants and guests of the Palace. They were gathered a little ways away from the Palace around something, cheering. She couldn't see what was going on from her position, so she moved forward, pushing through the throng of people, who, upon seeing who exactly was trying to break through the crowd, moved immediately to let her pass. Sometimes, being a Princess had its advantages.

Finally, she was able to see what all the fuss was about. And finally, she had found Makoto. Ami's eyes went wide, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Makoto and Haruka were practically killing each other! Haruka was in the process of grabbing Makoto from behind and pulling her roughly to the side, where the brunette hit the ground and rolled away, only to hop to her feet in the next instant. Haruka, in the mean time, was making a bee line toward an object lying in the grass but a few feet away. She lunged for it, just as Makoto grabbed for her. Makoto ended up tripping over Haruka's legs and falling flat on her face. Haruka took advantage of the error, by grabbing the...ball? Yes, it was a ball, Ami realized. Oh, no...Ami remembered this game. It was one that Haruka had long played with her trainees. It could be very dangerous and violent, and Ami could not see why they would wish to do such a barbaric thing.

Haruka lifted herself up on her free arm with Makoto now pinning her legs down. Makoto was bringing her own leg around to kick the ball from Haruka's other hand, but the blonde threw it in the nick of time, sending it soaring across the ground and through a round hoop that was suspended at one end of the field. Makoto cursed and Haruka cheered, rubbing her arm where Makoto's boot had come into painful contact with it. Another cheer sounded to Ami's left, and she turned to see Michiru waving madly at Haruka and grinning from ear to ear. "How much longer do you think you'll last, Haruka?" She yelled to the blonde. Others around them chimed in, supporting her question.

Haruka looked over at her lover, a smirk forming under the dirt that covered her sharp features, "Oh, I think you know how long I can last, Michiru. You should know quite well."

Michiru lifted her head high and looked down her nose playfully at Haruka, but said nothing in reply. Instead she looked to Makoto, who was on her stomach, pushing herself up from the ground. "And you Makoto? Are you going to continue?"

Makoto stood, gathering her hair back and retying it. "I'm still breathing, aren't I?"

Ami inspected Makoto critically. The warrior had a cut over one eye, and the left side of her jaw bore an angry looking bruise, like she'd been hit with something. Ami glanced at Makoto's arm, trying to determine if it might be causing her pain. The brunette didn't seem to be paying it any mind. Ami found herself growing annoyed as the two princesses ran to opposite ends of the field. Someone had thrown the ball to Michiru, who walked out to the center, placing the ball on the ground with exaggerated grace. She sauntered back to the edge of the crowd, looking around to make sure everyone was ready. Michiru then lifted her arm high in the air, watching the two at either end of the field get into their positions. In the next instant those same two were running towards the center as Michiru dropped her arm. It was the signal to start, and they ran with such speed that it astonished Ami. She didn't think that anyone could come close to being as fast as Haruka, but here was Makoto, almost matching her speed. Haruka, of course, reached the ball first though. She dipped down fast, grabbing the object and turning to go backward, away from the rushing Jovian. She must have had some sort of plan in her head, and smiled confidently. That smile dropped away, and the crowd cheered with such ferocity that Ami wanted to cover her ears, when Makoto barreled into the tall blonde, taking hold of both of her legs as she went, and flipping Haruka over her shoulders to land flat on ground behind her. Haruka coughed, the wind knocked out of her, and didn't have time to grab at the ball as Makoto swiped it from her quickly, and though Haruka was already struggling to get up, Makoto didn't move, but threw the ball from where she was standing. _'She'll never make such a throw from that position!' _Ami thought, as her she held her breath, watching the ball sail through the air at a deadly speed. It went straight through the hoop, making no contact with the metal at all. Ami's mouth dropped open and the crowd roared praises at the smiling Jovian. Haruka was on her feet and pointing back to the other end of the field, for Makoto to get to her end. She seemed to be saying something mocking, and Makoto shot her a look that said she could take anything the Uranian could dish out. They were comical in a way, and Ami gave a half-smile, but in the next instant she shook it off and looked over at Michiru, who had just returned from positioning the ball again. Ami marched over to her quickly, before she could give the signal.

"Michiru!" Ami snapped lowly, as not to let the others hear her, "how can you be condoning this? Makoto is in no shape to participate in such an activity! She was close to dying yesterday!"

Michiru just continued to smile her teasing smile and eyed the Jovian on the field. "She looks to be in good shape to me, Ami. Anyway, it's just a game."

Ami clenched her teeth, not answering at first, then looking over at Makoto, whom she realized was watching her now. Well, Ami was standing right next to their signal, sot that was to be expected. Ami wanted to growl, she was so frustrated with these people. Well, if Michiru wasn't stopping this, then she would. Ami turned briskly and set out to walk straight out there and stop those two idiots, but she barely made it a few feet before she felt and arm encircle her waste and pull her backwards. She saw ahead of her that Haruka was running at the ball now, but Makoto had yet to move, still watching her. "Move it, Makoto!" Came a voice, shouting right by Ami's ear. This seemed to have some effect on Makoto, for she was running to the ball in the next instant.

Ami tried to pry the arm from around her waste, but it tightened all the more. "Now, Ami, stop this. Just watch, alright. Let them have their fun." Michiru was resting her chin on Ami's shoulder, and watching the game, while not letting the blue-haired girl go.

"Makoto should not be doing this. She should be in bed, resting. There is no way that she is completely healed yet."

"Makoto is more resilient than you think, Ami. Her body is perfectly fine. She's always been physically strong. There are other wounds, though, that you cannot see. Ones that are deeper than any that you saw last night. I would think that those are the ones you should be worrying about." Michiru loosened her hold slightly.

"Just because you stayed in her castle for a while, does not make you an expert on her." Ami said, a bit more harshly than she had intended. She didn't know what had even compelled her to say such a thing, but Michiru's familiarity with the Jovian bothered her to no end.

Michiru laughed shortly, still speaking next to Ami's ear, while they both watched the two on the field. "Well then, Ami, I know how much of an expert you are in most things, and you're such a fast learner. I heard that you became fluent in Martian in only a month. But, I wonder if a month would be enough time to become an expert on Makoto? I very much doubt that you could do more than I could in a month, which was how long I stayed in her castle." Michiru's voice held a challenge in it that no one could miss, especially not Ami.

"Are you trying to make a bet with me?" Ami asked in an amused voice. It was very well known that the Neptunian princess loved to gamble. She took many risks in her life throughout the years. Some even life-threatening. Not many things made her back down, and she loved to meet any challenge thrown her way. Many were afraid to confront her in any way for fear of losing horribly. Michiru was not a woman to be taken lightly. For these reasons, the idea of a bet with Michiru highly intrigued Ami.

"A bet? Well, you said it, not me." Michiru was teasing her again. "But since you brought it up..."

Ami felt the arms slip from around her waste, and Michiru moved to stand beside her, still watching the two play on the field. They were slowing down gradually, exhaustion evident in their tired faces. "I'll be leaving in a week you know."

Ami nodded. "Yes, so I have heard." Ami had indeed heard that morning about Haruka and Michiru returning to their posts in a week. With the incident at the party, all of the security in the Moon Kingdom was being tightened and reinforced with great efficiency. Also, all of the guests were being sent back to their homes, as it was not a good idea to have so many people amassed on the Moon, for it could be a true disaster if it were to be attacked. Usagi's celebration was totally ruined by this, but the Queen tried to reassure her that it was for the good of the Kingdom and that they would find a way to make it up to her. Usagi took it very well, and Ami felt proud of her future Queen when she saw Usagi's reaction and her understanding of the situation. Queen Serenity did issue one other important order as well. All of her daughter's guardians were to remain on the Moon for the next month as planned, if not longer. She'd stated that they would be more powerful if they were together, and that the bonds between them should be strengthened. Ami didn't think that Makoto was going to take this very well, seeing as how she had talked at the ball of wanting to be back home. Ami was actually relieved that she would be staying as planned because she found that she liked it here on the Moon. It wasn't as boring as she'd once thought it to be. Funny how that was, and she didn't know when it had changed.

"Then in a month I will return to report to the Queen in person." Michiru turned and quirked an eyebrow at Ami, one corner of her mouth turning upward, "and then I will be expecting to hear a report from you."

"Oh, you will?" Ami played along, "And what exactly am I reporting on?"

"Makoto." Michiru answered. "I want you to prove to me that you got to know her more in a month than I ever could. In other words, tell me something I don't know. That is, if you can."

"What do you want if I fail?" Ami asked.

Michiru seemed confused, then she looked thoughtful, as if she hadn't even considered this yet. Finally, she answered, "That contraption that you carry around. I would like one of those."

"My computer?" Ami replied.

"Is that what you call it? Yes, then, one of those will do."

"But you do not even know how to use one, and it takes quite a while to learn."

Michiru smiled, "Mmhmm, and that is the other part of the bargain. You are going to teach me to use it."

Ami wasn't so sure about that. "You would not be able to share the information with anyone else, Michiru. The Moon Kingdom is not ready for this technology yet. One day, maybe, but not yet."

Michiru nodded. "I am quite aware of the laws on Mercury concerning things like this. Plus, that's what makes me want it even more." She grinned wickedly.

Ami shook her head, smiling. "Fine, but what do I get?"

"What do you want?" Michiru asked.

"Um."

Now Michiru shook her head and, knowing that Ami was too considerate to ask for anything too valuable, she spoke. "Tell you what, I will give you one of my paintings, or any other work that I have created. You name it, and it will be yours."

Ami stared at her, dumbfounded. Michiru never gave away any of her paintings or sculptures. They stayed solely on Neptune. It was very rare that she even showed them to anyone but her closest companions and friends. To actually own one would be quite a privilege.

"And there is always the satisfaction of beating me," Michiru smiled down at Ami, breaking her gaze from the field.

Ami shook her head, suddenly finding the whole idea ridiculous. Why did she let Michiru lead her into things like this? "I can't accept such a bet, Michiru. This is childish, and you're just trying to distract me from getting Makoto off of the field and into bed." Ami paused after she said that and watched Michiru's face break into a wide grin as the woman suppressed her laughter.

"What is so funny? I am right, aren't I?"

"Wow, Ami, you move fast," Michiru managed to say.

Ami scrunched her face up in thought, and then slapped Michiru on her arm, as realization dawned on her, "Oh, shut up, you know what I meant. She needs to stay in bed so that she can rest. I don't even want to imagine what you were thinking."

"Hm, I bet you don't." Michiru's voice was mocking. "Or maybe you can't."

Ami was cut off from replying when Michiru laughed as, on the field, Haruka threw the ball over Makoto's head and spun around her, catching it on her other side and running away. The blonde managed to throw the ball, just before she was tackled to the ground by Makoto. She made the goal, and the crowd roared in delight. Michiru turned to look at Ami, expectation in her eyes.

"Well?" She asked.

Ami rolled her eyes. "It is too silly. Sorry, but no."

Michiru bent down slightly, so that she could look Ami straight in the eye. "I think that you want to take the bet."

Ami shook her head again. "No. No bet."

Michiru nodded, still smiling at Ami. She stood tall again, "You're so cute Ami. I always wanted a little sister." Someone threw the ball to Michiru, who caught it easily. She turned back to Ami. "I'll be back in a month for your report."

"I told you," Ami said in exasperation, "I am not making a bet with you."

Michiru ignored her and turned toward the field, but suddenly turned back around to Ami. "Oh, and if I might make a suggestion." She put her hand on top of Ami's head, the smaller girl scowling up at her. "Don't use_ this_ too much, okay?"

Ami looked confused, "What?"

"Just trust me. You're too smart for your own good sometimes, Ami." Michiru removed her hand and walked onto the field to set the ball in place again.

Ami just looked after her with mild annoyance. The older woman was someone that she usually looked up to, but at times Michiru could be somewhat eccentric. Sighing in defeat, Ami went to find a place to sit. It seemed like it was going to be a long game after all.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Makoto could feel her own heart beating in her ears as she stood weakly in place. She felt that she had just enough strength left to breath now. The woman before her looked to be in about the same condition. Haruka, a woman. It had surprised Makoto to no end when she found this out. She remembered the scene now:

She had grabbed hold of the woman, whom she thought to be a man, from behind, bringing her hands around her chest. What she felt there had shocked her into freezing on the spot, Haruka's chuckling became loud in her ears. The woman coughed when Makoto made no move to release her, "You know, only one person is allowed to touch me there, and though you are quite attractive, you really aren't my type." Makoto let her go then, only to stare at her.

"You're a woman? But..."

"You assumed that I was a man." Haruka finished for her. "It's a reaction that I've come to expect, and one you seem to have been receiving last night." Haruka grinned. "Though I think that I'm a bit better at it than you. Especially since it seems that you've opted to go without binding yourself today." Haruka nodded towards Makoto's chest.

Makoto looked to where Haruka indicated, then back up. "Someone left a new change of clothes for me this morning, but there was nothing to bind my chest with. I hadn't considered it a large problem."

"Certainly large, but not a problem. You might want to consider going without the usual binding anyway," Haruka teased, her voice amused. "I know I would if I were you." She sighed in a wistful manner, and put her hand to her own chest. "If only I were so well endowed."

Makoto had given her a look that clearly said she had no idea what in hell Haruka was going on about, having lost the point already.

"Hm, if only," another voice joined in, and Michiru walked into Makoto's line of sight. "I see no problem with the way you are now, Haruka."

"You flatter me, Michiru."

From then on, their game had only gotten more aggressive. They outlasted all of the trainees, and ended up playing one-on-one. At some point she had noticed that the people watching them were not just made up of the soldiers that were originally in the practice yard, but also many others. They had drawn quite a crowd. Then there had been more specific additions to the crowd that she noted. One example being the small Mercurian now sitting primly in a chair next to Michiru. The disapproval had shone so clearly on her face, that it had distracted Makoto, causing her to miss the signal from Michiru to start. From there on, others drifted in, including two blondes, one of which she recognized as Minako from the night before. The other looked so similar that they might pass for twins. With them came a woman who completely contrasted both with her dark hair and brooding expression. She was the one they called Rei, the Martian princess, Makoto remembered.

Now, Makoto and Haruka were both standing in the center of the field, staring each other down. Michiru, with her taunting smile, stood a little ways between them, holding the ball tight to her chest. "Haven't you two had enough?" She asked sweetly.

They looked at her in unison, taking some time to answer. Haruka spoke first. "I could do this all night." She said firmly. Michiru looked at Makoto, who nodded in agreement.

Michiru studied Haruka closely, then shook her head. "Haruka, my little Uranian princess, I think that if you did play all night, you would never see the morning." She regarded Makoto again. "The same goes for you. Though I doubt you would even see the night, seeing as how you are injured."

"It's barely a scratch now!" Makoto replied.

"Regardless, the score is tied and you are both worn out. You're just being clumsy now. So, I'm stopping the game here before you make fools of yourselves."

"What!"

"You can't do that!"

Michiru raised a brow and gave them both a half smile. "Oh, I can't, can I? What are you going to do to stop me? I've got the ball." She held it up, trying to bait them.

Haruka lunged at her, making a grab for the ball, only to be evaded quickly and pushed roughly to the ground. At that same time, Makoto was coming up behind Michiru, hoping to catch her off guard. She failed, however, as Michiru ducked and swiftly kicked Makoto's feet out from under her, causing the brunette to fall heavily on her rear, her head hitting Haruka in the stomach. Both women groaned, pushing themselves away from each other, while Michiru made her way to the edge of the field, where the others waited.

They lay there breathing hard and staring at the sky, feeling their muscles ache all over. Makoto then spoke in a rough voice, "She has quite a kick, doesn't she."

Haruka answered with a smile in her words, "You have no idea."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ami watched as Haruka and Makoto helped each other up from the ground. The people around them were gradually dispersing, going back to the Palace. Ami stood and thought about the proper way to go about remonstrating Makoto on her behavior. She would not have been half as angry or disappointed with the brunette, had she not gone and pulled a stunt like this. Playing such a violent game the day after she nearly died of being poisoned.

She was accompanied by Rei, Usagi, and Minako, who stood near her, watching the two coming in from the field. They had retreated to stand back near the entrance to the Palace, waiting with Ami and Michiru. Haruka reached them first, with Makoto trailing wearily behind her. The look of disappointment Ami shot Makoto, made her look away quickly.

Michiru went up to Haruka and put her arms around the taller woman's neck, bringing their lips together in a kiss. When she withdrew, she looked up at the blonde and smiled. "You did wonderful, Haruka." She received a hug in return.

Makoto watched them with an indifferent expression. "You're the Princess of Uranus then." It was more of a statement than a question.

Haruka looked over at her and inclined her head. "Pleased to meet you."

Makoto sighed, her gaze falling on the ground. "I should have guessed sooner."

At this, Minako walked over to Makoto and moved so that she could look into Makoto's eyes. "What are you so gloomy about? You played a great game you know. Even if you were injured and you didn't take Ami's advice about staying in bed, and even if she was so worried about you that she spent all day trying to find you."

Makoto glanced briefly in Ami's direction and then back down. Minako stood straight, contemplating the woman before her. Then, most abruptly, she pointed a finger in the air, coming to some conclusion. "Oh, I know. You're upset because you didn't get one."

Makoto looked up in confusion. "Huh?" She asked the blonde. "Get one of what?"

Minako answered by throwing her arms around Makoto's neck and pressing her lips to the surprised Jovian's. There was a long pause from the group around them, as they watched in a mixture of amusement and shock. Then there was a boost in the anger that Ami felt, though she couldn't quite decide whom she was directing it at. Then, there was Rei, pulling Minako away from Makoto with one swift motion and putting herself directly between the two. She glared down at the blonde she held firmly by the shoulders. Makoto stood rigidly behind them, a confused expression on her tired features.

"What the hell are you doing! You can't just do that to someone without asking." Rei chastised Minako.

Minako looked thoughtful. "Then do you want me to ask her?" She made to look around Rei at Makoto.

"No!" Rei growled in response, obstructing her view.

"What's got you so worked up, Rei?" Minako asked innocently, putting her arms around Rei's neck now. The Martian's eyes got a little wide, and her face a little red. Her anger was starting to ebb, being replaced by a new emotion. "I know. You wanted one too, didn't you?" Minako leaned forward, towards Rei's face, coming dangerously close.

Rei leaned backward, away from Minako, panic in her eyes. "No! Not like this!" She said suddenly, taking hold of Minako's shoulders and pushing her away. Minako's expression changed to one of surprise, as if she hadn't expected that response.

"Not like this?" Minako grinned. "Then like what, Rei?" She asked in a sly voice, as though she were taunting a trapped animal.

Rei fished around for a reply. "I mean, that is, not here." Her face was very red now. "Not that if we were somewhere else that would make a difference," she rambled, "or that I want one. Cause I don't!" She said with fervor. "I'm not saying that it would be a bad thing, just not with me, or her, or anyone. No, that's not right. What I mean is, you just shouldn't go around randomly attacking people like that. Well, that didn't sound correct either," Rei mumbled, then babbled on, "Michiru and Haruka are lovers, so it's alright for them, but you and Makoto aren't...you know, and you and I aren't...you know." Rei looked almost terrified by this point, and Minako finally put a sympathetic finger over Rei's lips, quieting her rambling.

"Yes," she giggled. "I know. I'm sorry, and I won't do it again." Minako looked positively delighted now, and Ami couldn't imagine how she could take such pleasure in torturing poor Rei. Why was she so intent on embarrassing the Martian?

Rei removed herself completely from Minako's hold and gathered her wits, casting her gaze around the group. She somehow managed to slip back into her original persona, the brooding air returning. "It is getting late, and the evening meal should be served soon. I supposed that I will see all of you there." She looked over between Haruka and Makoto. "All of you that are able, that is." She then turned smartly and headed straight into the Palace, not bothering to look back.

Haruka and Michiru soon followed her, but Minako lingered back with Usagi, whispering something to the other blonde causing them both to laugh. They continued their secret conversation as Ami approached Makoto. She walked straight up to her, arms crossed and chin up. The brunette actually took a step back and seemed to steel herself. Ami hadn't expected that reaction really, but it didn't faze her one bit. "Why are you not in bed?" She asked pointedly.

"Because I'm perfectly fine now." Makoto countered.

"Regardless of how you think your condition is, I am the healer, and I said for you to have one day of bed rest. You purposefully ignored my instructions." Ami's voice was stern.

Makoto paused for a moment. Her tired mind seeming a bit slow in coming up with an excuse, then she finally had one, "I didn't really ignore your instructions. You said one day of best rest. Well, I did get one day. One Jovian day of rest."

Ami looked at her in disbelief, doing a few calculations in her head and coming up with a conclusion. Yes, days were much shorter where Makoto was from, but that was completely beside the point. _'We're not on Ganymede.' _Makoto looked at Ami with a determined expression. _'But she really thinks that she has a valid excuse.' _Ami shook her head in disagreement. "We are on the Moon. It was obvious that I meant a Lunar day."

Makoto drew her lips together in a tight line, then looked over Ami's shoulder, then back to Ami. She did this several times before Ami finally turned around to see exactly what was distracting her. Upon turning, she caught the tail end of some sort of silent cheer that Minako was trying to pull off, waving her fists before her emphatically. Ami's glare made the blonde come to a sudden halt and grin.

"Lovely ribbon," Ami commented off-handedly, waiting for the woman to leave. She'd noticed it earlier, but hadn't said anything about the red ribbon that held Minako's long blonde hair back today.

"Isn't it!" She replied with enthusiasm. Then, laughing shortly and giving a weak wave, Minako tugged on the arm of the giggling girl beside her, pulling the other blonde away with her, toward the Palace.

Ami then turned back to Makoto, only to find the space before her empty. She looked around quickly and caught sight of the brunette hastily walking toward one of the doors of the Palace. Just as she grabbed hold of the handle to the door, Ami raised her voice and asked in an amused tone, "Do you have some urgent business in that storage room there?"

Makoto froze and took her hand from the door and looking from left to right, probably for another escape route. Finding none, she cursed and started walking back to her tormenter. Ami shivered in the cool wind that blew Makoto's unbound hair across her worn features as she returned to the Mercurian. Night was settling upon the vast field, and she could smell the dampness of evening. Ami loved to be outside around this time, when darkness was falling. Later, she would come back to this place to get some exercise of her own, then she might go back to her room and read a bit. It was usually the same thing each night on the Moon, but she was alright with that.

As Makoto stopped in front of her, Ami took a moment to observe the tall guardian, noting how slowly she had been walking and the dejected expression she wore. Deciding that maybe a scolding was not the best way to approach the tired Jovian, she calmed herself and tried a different approach. "Lady Makoto, walk with me...please?" She said, looking into the other woman's green eyes. Makoto nodded and walked with Ami, back to the Palace. Now, she just needed to figure out a way to break the news of Serenity's announcement to her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Makoto looked down at the woman walking beside her. The news that she'd just received made her angry and annoyed, and she knew that it wasn't right to take it out on the messenger, but she couldn't help it. She was just so nervous to begin with, and then Ami tells her that she's stuck here for the month, or even longer, when everyone else gets to go home. How unfair! Makoto didn't want to be here at all. She should get to go home as well!

The Mercurian beside Makoto reflected her mood as she spoke. "It is not as if anything has changed for you, you know. You were to stay here for a month from the start."

"That's not the point," Makoto snapped. "Why is everyone else getting to return home, and I have to stay here?"

"Because you are one of Usagi's guardians, as am I. It is your duty to do so," Ami said through gritted teeth.

"One less guardian will not make a difference. I never asked for this duty."

"Then what exactly are you here for? What is your purpose?" Ami fumed, as they both stopped at an intersection in the corridors. "If you consider your duty so worthless then I suppose it does not matter whether you are here or not. I doubt you would be able to defend _anyone_ with an attitude like that."

"And you could do better?" Makoto asked sarcastically, raising her voice, knowing that it was not a fair question.

Ami gave her a withering look. "I do not have to answer such a question from one as spoiled and selfish as you."

Makoto's blood was boiling. She had never been talked to like this before. How dare this little Mercurian say something like that. And why the hell was everyone calling her these things today! She clenched her jaw, trying to find a retort, but failing. Still she searched her mind, hoping to come up with something, for somewhere, a little part of her was actually enjoying the confrontation with the smaller woman.

"And I supposed that you like it here, huh?" Makoto asked in a loud voice.

The volume of Ami's voice rose as well. "Yes. In fact, I love it here!"

"Well, then how can you tell me anything? You have no idea how I feel!" Makoto growled loudly.

"Sorry if I am not _bursting_ with empathy for you, but it does not matter either way. We are stuck here, and you had better get used to it!" Ami's fists were clenched at her sides, her face turning red.

Makoto's heart was beating fast, her adrenaline pumping. "Why don't you just go to bed or read a book or something!" She yelled.

"Why don't you just got to he–," Ami stopped mid-sentence, glaring at Makoto. _'Come on, say it,' _Makoto thought eagerly, _'say it already._'

"Take a bath!" She finished in a huff.

Makoto said the first thing that came to her mind. "FINE!" _'That was a great come back.' _She commended herself sarcastically.

"FINE!" Ami yelled viciously back. "Why do you have to be such a damn superfluously vexing person of subnormal intelligence!"

'_What!'_ Makoto scrunched her face up in confusion, staring at Ami dumbly. "What the hell did you just call me?" She asked in a baffled voice.

Ami through her hands in the air, making an exasperated sound, and turned on her heal, stomping off down the opposite hall. Makoto stared after her, not knowing how exactly to respond to that. Then she was even more confused as Ami was suddenly heading straight back to her. The Mercurian stopped in front of her, a raging storm in her eyes. "And thank you for the roses!" She shouted forcefully, her voice still loud and laced with anger. Then, she turned right back around, stomping off once again.

Makoto stood for a moment, gaping slightly, wondering if she should wait and see if the woman had anything else to add. Finally, she pulled her senses back together. "YOU'RE WELCOME!" She yelled back vehemently. Her voice reverberated in the dark corridors and her heavy breathing was the only sound after it faded away. Makoto took one long deep breath, at last breaking her gaze away from the hall down which Ami had disappeared. She then turned, heading down a different hall, not really knowing where she was going, but that didn't seem to matter to her at the moment. What mattered was sorting out exactly what she had just engaged in. Never in her life had she had someone speak to her in such a way. She just wasn't prepared for it. Had she actually felt intimidated by Ami? That was ridiculous!

Makoto shook her head. Now she didn't want to think about it anymore. She'd find Ami later, or tomorrow some time and...apologize? She cringed at the word._ 'What do I have to apologize for?' _She thought about it, then frowned. _'I think that I was the one who started yelling first,' _she thought critically, _'and I insulted her first...'_ Okay, so she should apologize. Makoto grimaced at the prospect. Looking around, she wondered where she was. _'Great. Now I'm lost,' _she continued to walk, hoping to run into someone soon, whom she could ask for directions. _'Directions to a bath,' _she thought with mirth.

_Continued..._


End file.
